FROM THE CHAIRMAN:   THE HONOURABLE ROB KNOWLES

4 February 2003

New FSANZ Chief Executive Appointed

“I am pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Graham Peachey as the new Chief Executive Officer of Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).   He succeeds Mr Ian Lindenmayer who is about to retire after five years as Managing Director of Food Standards Australia New Zealand and its predecessor the Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA),” the Chairman of FSANZ, the Hon Rob Knowles said today.

Mr Peachey has a strong record of achievement as a senior executive in several regulatory bodies in both the health and agriculture portfolios over the past 11 years. His current position is Executive Head of the Trans-Tasman Group of the Therapeutic Goods Administration.   In this role he has had responsibility for the planning and negotiation of arrangements with New Zealand government authorities to harmonise the regulatory systems for therapeutic goods for the two countries.   He has also been Director of the Chemicals and Non-Prescription Medicines Branch of the Therapeutic Goods Administration. In 1993 Mr Peachey was appointed to the then National Food Authority where he played a major role in the development of the Treaty between Australia and New Zealand to establish a common food standards system and a new binational food regulator, the Australia New Zealand Food Authority.   He continued as a General Manager with ANZFA until 1998.

“His wide-ranging experience will be invaluable to FSANZ as it tackles a number of major tasks on the food regulatory agenda of the two countries.   These include developing primary production and processing standards for various Australian primary industry sectors and ensuring that the regulatory requirements for the two countries keep pace with the increasing links between food and medicines through the rapid growth in the nutraceuticals and dietary supplements markets.”

Mr Peachey will commence duty in the near future.

Media contact: Lydia Buchtmann, FSANZ   (02) 6271 2620 or 0401 714 265 mobile
                        (or from New Zealand) 0061 2 6271 2620 or 0061 411 268 525