Emerald cotton grower Ross Burnett of Barkool has been reappointed to the Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC) board for his second three-year tenure to September 2026.
Mr Burnett primarily farms cotton on his myBMP-certified property and has developed extensive hands-on knowledge of cotton production over the years.
Beyond the farm gate, Mr Burnett has been an active advocate for cotton, representing the industry at local, state and national levels.
He has a passion for sustainability and research, implementing both in his farming business and being a grower representative for the industry in these areas.
Indeed, the new CRDC board has wasted little time in building the coporation’s vision to grow Australia’s cotton industry by $1 billion over the next five years.
Clever Cotton is a strategic plan that guides all CRDC’s research, development and extension (RD&E) investments from 2023 to 2028.
Mr Burnett says the initiative reflects the current focus and agility of Australia’s cotton industry.
It will allow, he says, the industry to establish a sustainable low-carbon production system, as well as capture data and insights that enhance its market access and value.
Furthermore, he hopes it will provide a roadmap to world-leading RD&E that enables the cotton industry to respond faster to the rising challenges affecting how much cotton is produced.
“Over the past five years, the industry’s focus on sustainability has grown and Clever Cotton aligns strongly with that to ensure Australian cotton is competitive on the world stage,” Mr Burnett said.
“Also, stakeholders throughout the supply chain are asking for more thorough evidence of how we produce cotton, which ensures we must remain open and transparent.”
CRDC chairman Richard Haire said the new board was “laser focused“ on rising to the challenge Clever Cotton had set.
“Clever Cotton is our most ambitious strategic plan ever – calling on CRDC to turn a $125 million investment into a $1 billion return for the industry over the next five years,“ he said.
“Capturing that $1 billion starts now and our new board members have come with their sleeves rolled up, ready to get on with the job.“
CRDC board directors (three-year appointment until 30 September 2026):
● Mr Ross Burnett, Queensland (reappointment)
● Ms Julianne (Julie) Bird, South Australia (new appointment)
● The Hon. Niall Blair, New South Wales (new appointment)
● Ms Sally Ceeney, New South Wales (new appointment)
● Mr Bernard (Bernie) George, New South Wales (new appointment)
● Ms Michelle Tierney, New South Wales (new appointment)
Mr Haire said the new board was a capable and experienced team with diverse backgrounds, experiences and expertise.
“It’s exciting to welcome a passionate new team of directors to CRDC and, at the same time, great to have central Queensland cotton grower Ross Burnett returning for a second term to provide some continuity,” Mr Haire said.
“The new directors bring a unique blend of industry experience and non-cotton backgrounds across business, research, government and communications – diverse external perspectives that will foster broad and rich insights to complement the learnings and thinking of the experienced team at CRDC.
“To our outgoing board members, I express a big and sincere thank you for their dedication to advancing Australia’s cotton industry. “CRDC prides itself on listening to industry and the outgoing board was no exception – responding with a strategic plan that prioritises the things that matter to growers: our paddocks, our planet and our people.”
CRDC acting executive director Allan Williams said the new directors came onboard at an exciting time for cotton industry innovation.
“Australia’s cotton industry has long been synonymous with innovation but, with the range of technologies available to us now and with more coming online daily, it’s a really exciting time to be a part of CRDC – helping to shape the next generation of innovations that will see industry deliver on improved farming efficiencies and meet changing expectations around sustainability and supporting data.
“I look forward to working with the new board to bring Clever Cotton to life.“
