The role of the Transition Advocate is to facilitate 2-way communication between industry and government, provide information to industry about the transition plan and assistance, and provide advice to government on how the transition is progressing (including supporting the stocktake in 2026–2027). The Transition Advocate is funded as part of the $139.7 million transition assistance package. Please see the terms of reference for the description of the role.
Who is the Transition Advocate?
Dr Chris Rodwell is the Transition Advocate. Read Dr Rodwell’s statement.
Dr Rodwell brings a wealth of expertise required to provide leadership within a significant transition process in the sheep supply chain, with a predominate focus on Western Australia.
Dr Rodwell is specialised in animal welfare, exports, disease preparedness and biosecurity. Dr Rodwell has most recently been engaged by the CSIRO, working at the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness and has previously held senior roles in the Western Australian, Commonwealth and New Zealand governments.
Transition Advocate activities
Since his appointment, Dr Rodwell has focused on engagement across the supply chain to understand the sheep production system, areas of tension and opportunities to make the system more resilient.
Over the next 12 months, Dr Rodwell will continue to engage stakeholders as assistance and transition measures are announced and leverage his independent voice to help support and amplify the transition process.
Strategic Steering Group
Dr Rodwell will establish a Strategic Steering Group to support the development of a Western Australian sheep industry strategy and implementation plan and the best use of the transition programs being funded by the Australian Government.
The Strategic Steering Group will work to enable connection between implementation on the ground and strategy. It will:
- Provide strategic guidance on the development of a medium-long term industry strategy and priority action plan for, and supported by, the WA sheep and wool sector
- Identify any required analysis or work needed to inform and support the industry strategy and priority action plan
- Identify issues and barriers to successful transition
- Facilitate connections between organisations and groups to amplify and connect networks, resources and opportunities
The Strategic Steering Group members will be appointed by the Transition Advocate. The group will be made up of individuals who are respected industry leaders with a deep understanding of the Western Australia sheep sector.
Download
Transition Advocate Terms of Reference (PDF 153 KB)
Transition Advocate Terms of Reference (DOCX 122 KB)
If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.
Any questions about the role or the appointment process can also be submitted to livesheep.phaseout@aff.gov.au.
Media enquiries should be directed to media@aff.gov.au.