Media Releases

Agriculture and Food Security Minister Peter Walsh today announced the appointment of four new members to the board of meat and seafood safety regulator PrimeSafe.
Dr Caroline Barrett, Zoe Attwood, Gary Hardwick and Leonard Vallance are new appointments to the PrimeSafe board, while Dr John Carnie, Tim Mirabella, Frank Russo, Chris Turner and Frank Whitford have been reappointed.
“Under the ongoing chairmanship of Bill Bray, PrimeSafe plays a vital role in helping to maintain the world class reputation of Victoria’s red meat, poultry and seafood sectors,” Mr Walsh said.
“Each of the board members has diverse and impressive industry, health and governance experience, making them an excellent choice to lead PrimeSafe into the future.”
Dr Caroline Barrett is a veterinarian and veterinary pathologist currently working at a senior consultant level at Gribbles Pathology (Healthscope) Laboratories. She has a wide range of international experience in the scientific, laboratory, and animal healthcare fields.
Zoe Attwood is a current Dairy Food Safety Victoria board member with a strong background in research, science, biotechnology, engineering and commercialisation.
Gary Hardwick is the founder of Hardwicks Meat Works Pty Ltd and currently chairman of the Australian Meat Processor Corporation (AMPC) of Australia.
He is also current chairman of the National Meat Processors Council and a member of the Australian Processor Council.
Mr Leonard Vallance runs a 9,000 hectare beef and grain property in the central Mallee, is an executive member of the Cattle Council of Australia and a strong force in the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) Livestock Group. He is also the current chair of the Cattle Council’s R&D Beef Taskforce which helps to prioritise research and development programs with Meat and Livestock Australia.
Mr Walsh thanked departing board members Ailsa Fox, Jillian Francis, Frank Herd and Paul Conway for their invaluable contribution to PrimeSafe and their commitment to the red meat, poultry and seafood industries.
PrimeSafe is a statutory authority operating under the Meat Industry Act 1993 and Seafood Safety Act 2003 to regulate the safety of meat, poultry and seafood across Victoria.