New England cotton growers and industry professionals featured prominently in a double dose of good news from Cotton Australia this month, with a Goondiwindi grower joining the organisation’s board and a strong contingent of Narrabri-based professionals graduating from a national leadership program.
Andrew Coulton, a third-generation cotton grower from Toobeah in the McIntyre Valley, was elected to the Cotton Australia Board at the organisation’s Annual General Meeting, held during the Australian Cotton Conference on the Gold Coast from Tuesday, 4 August to Thursday, 6 August.
Mr Coulton’s family has deep roots in the region. His grandparents, Keith and Patricia Coulton, established their farming operation at Getta Getta near North Star in the early 1900s, before the family expanded with the addition of Alcheringa at Boggabilla in the late 1960s, turning the property from sheep grazing country into an irrigated farming enterprise. In 1995, his parents, David and Kim Coulton, established Morella Agriculture.
He joins the board alongside Scott Balsillie, Chief Operations Officer for Eastern Australia Agriculture in Dirranbandi, and re-elected director April Cavanagh.
Cotton Australia Chair Liz Stott used the AGM to thank retiring grower directors Bernie Beierhoff and Matt McVeigh for their service.
“On behalf of the Cotton Australia Board, I thank Bernie and Matt for their service, hard work and commitment to our industry,” Ms Stott said.
“Their leadership and representation have helped strengthen the Australian cotton industry and ensure grower voices remain at the centre of our work.”
Ms Stott also paid tribute to board member Bruce Connolly, who passed away last year, describing him as a modern pioneer for cotton in northern Australia and a passionate advocate for regional communities.
The board announcement came just a day after Cotton Australia revealed the largest cohort in the history of its Future Cotton Leaders Program had graduated ahead of the conference, with four of the 17 emerging leaders drawn from the Narrabri district.
Jessie Schwager, of Priag Marketing, Megan Baker, of the Cotton Research and Development Corporation, and Natalie Aquilina, of Cotton Seed Distributors, all graduated from Narrabri, alongside Hugh Lennon, of Hancock Agriculture at nearby Merah North.
Cotton Australia CEO Adam Kay said the program was about more than just completing a course.
“The Future Cotton Leaders Program is about building confidence, capability and networks, but it is also about action,” Mr Kay said.
“This cohort has embraced the challenge of identifying issues that matter to their businesses, regions and communities, and then developing practical projects that can make a difference.”
Participants were tasked with developing individual leadership projects alongside group workshops, one-on-one coaching and online learning. Projects from the 2026 cohort ranged from improving communication between irrigators and water corporations to building new professional networks for young agronomists.
The Future Cotton Leaders Program is delivered every two years by Cotton Australia with funding support from the Cotton Research and Development Corporation. Since it began in 2006, it has produced more than 130 graduates across the cotton industry.
More information on the Australian Cotton Conference is available at australiancottonconference.com.au.
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