Citrus Australia farewells Tania Chapman

Citrus Australia farewells Tania Chapman

After eight years of service to the citrus industry as a grower director and chair of Citrus Australia, Tania Chapman has resigned from the board.

“Tania led Citrus Australia for 8 years as chair and she has been tireless and fearless in focusing the organisation on getting the best outcomes for growers,” said Citrus Australia CEO Nathan Hancock.

“As a grower herself in the Murray Valley, Tania was acutely aware of the challenges the industry was facing but was not in any way deterred by the magnitude of those challenges.”

Tania was an inaugral director of Citrus Australia, joining in October 2008 when the industry was facing some significant challenges including drought, high exchange rates and competition in export markets. In April 2010 she was elected as chair and held the position until April 2018.

During her time on the board Tania supported the development of exports into China, led the company on backpacker tax and export reforms, and cultivated strong relationships with Hort Innovation and government. She guided the development of the industry and ensured that grower research and development levies were invested wisely and that outcomes were relevant to industry.

Tania was also effective at raising awareness about issues of importance to citrus growers including biosecurity and was a regular spokesperson for the industry in the media.

“On a more personal level, Tania has been a great friend to all of us at Citrus Australia and we will miss her passion and mentorship and, above all, her friendship,” added Nathan. “But this does not mean the end, Tania will remain in the horticulture industry and we look forward to the company having an ongoing relationship with her, albeit in a different capacity.”