Update from the Board - September 2020

Since Equestrian Australia entered into Voluntary Administration, the Equestrian South Australia (ESA) Board has been working hard to support its members through the process, as well as collaborating with the other State and Territory Equestrian Associations, and KordaMentha. By negotiating with key stakeholders, we hope to move the Association forward and to satisfy the important and critical needs of our members.

That’s why it was important to the State branches that:

1. a double majority be implemented, to protect the interests of the smaller states and smaller disciplines
2. a quorum of 5% of the membership rather than of 50 members, which represents a much smaller percentage of the overall membership
3. both an EA representative and a regional/rural member be on the Nominations Committee, to ensure a good cross section, and not just those that KordaMentha proposed as suitable.

The ESA Board understands that the EA governance structure no longer works and intends to only vote in the manner indicated by our SA members.

The ESA Board has made a significant effort to engage with our membership, through the SA Discipline Committees. We felt it was important to channel discussion through the DCs who are elected representatives of the various sports of which ESA / EA govern, and who all have unique and differing opinions and needs.

ESA also has a responsibility to the SA Office of Recreation, Sport & Racing, who provide significant grant funds that support the association to continue here in SA. As such, we have been in regular communications with ORSR as stakeholders, to ensure that we protect the invaluable relationship and support we receive from them.

ESA has not sought to put forward any structural changes or governance requirements, rather, we believe that working with a strong Interim Board at the EA level, is the best place to progress all necessary changes. To ensure this happens, the KordaMentha DOCA and subsequent constitutional changes must be passed to avoid liquidation.

We are looking forward to working closely with the Nominations Committee and the Interim Board, once appointed, after the Special General Meeting to be held on 15 September 2020.

In the meantime, the ESA Board continues to engage with our DCs through the Discipline Committee Review, which is due to conclude by the end of September 2020. A report will be released at the conclusion of the Review period, outlining the process and important recommendations being made to continue growing and improving our sports.

Once the reviews are complete and the Administration process steadies, the ESA Board will be able to focus our time and energy on governance and strategy, and the lessons learnt throughout the past four months will be integral to moving forward in a positive and efficient way.

In the meantime, we are open to receiving any feedback from our members via [email protected]

Regards,
The Board of Equestrian SA