Board members

Dairy Food Safety Victoria's Board is an independent, skills-based board accountable to the Victorian Minister for Agriculture.

The Minister appoints the Chair and may also appoint one member nominated by the Secretary of the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action. The remaining five members are appointed by the Minister acting upon the recommendations of an industry selection committee.

Each member holds office for a term not exceeding three years and is eligible for re-appointment.

Dr Anne Astin AM, PSM – Chair

B.Sc Chemistry, B.Sc (Hons) Biochemistry, Ph.D (Biochemistry), Grad Dip Public Sector Management, FAIFST, MAICD 

Anne is Chair of the Board of the Food Agility Co-operative Research Centre, the  William Angliss Institute of TAFE, Agriculture Innovation Australia Limited and Good Shephard Australia New Zealand. She is Deputy Chair of the new Zealand Food Safety Science and Research Centre’s Advisory Board and the Victorian Fisheries Management Authority.

She has previously worked in senior executive positions in the Victorian public sector in food policy and regulation, public health, agriculture, minerals and petroleum, natural resources and environment, land administration and forensic science.

She was director of the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation, Sheep Producers Australia Limited and a past Chair of the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology, the Australia and New Zealand Implementation Subcommittee for Food Regulation and the Australian Industry Skills Council’s Food, Beverage and Pharmaceutical Industry Reference Committee.

Dr Michele Allan – AO

B App Sc (Biomed), MMgmt Tec, MComm Law, DBA, FAICD, FATSE

Michele has an academic background in biomedical science, technology, business management and law. She has held senior positions and directorships in food and agribusiness and as an advisor to government on a range of issues related to horticulture, food manufacturing and export.

She is currently Chair of the Boards of SmarySat CRC, Trusted Autonomous Systems CRC, Wine Australia and Corregeo Limited. She is also Chancellor of the Board of Charles Sturt University. Michele is also a non-executive director of the Food Agility CRC and a non-executive director of Food Agility CRC, MJ Chicken Pty Ltd and Terragen Holdings Ltd.

Polly Bennett -  B. Economics, Executive Fellow Australian New Zealand School of Government, Trustee Committee for Economic Development of Australia, GAICD

Polly has extensive governance and leadership experience across commercial, government and not for profit organisations in the agribusiness, food safety, education, health, transport, ports and infrastructure sectors.

Polly is Chair of the Greater Sydney Local Land Services Board, and a member of the Local Land Services State Board of Chairs, Chair of the SkillsIQ Australia Board. and a member of the Tocal Agricultural College Advisory Board.

Polly was CEO of NSW Food Authority, Acting Deputy Director General Agriculture NSW, Director of Agribusiness Development Department Primary Industries and CEO Australian Lot Feeders Association.

Dr Scott Crerar - B. V. Sc, M. App, Epid, Ph.D., MAICD

Scott is an experienced senior executive with over 20 years of experience in food safety and regulation, specialising in risk assessment and management roles. He has held key positions in public health and agriculture within various federal government departments.. Most recently, he led and oversaw the science and risk assessment functions at Food Standards Australia New Zealand.

Scott's international experience includes holding food safety roles in Hong Kong and New Zealand, and he has collaborated with global agencies such as the APEC Food Safety Cooperation Forum and Codex Alimentarius. He has represented Australia at both forums, notably chairing the nation's delegation to the Codex Taskforce on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) from 2017 to 2021

Scott has served as a director for several  non-profit organizations and is currently the Chair of Australia’s Food Safety Information Council. He serves on the Hong Kong government's Expert Advisory Committee on Food Safety.

Tania Luckin – Adv. Dip Ag, GAICD

Tania operates a dairy farming business milking 600 cows in Southwest Victoria. She has more than 25 years’ experience in the successfully operating small, medium and large-scale dairy farms in Victoria and South Australia. Tania has been involved in various industry organisations at regional and national levels and has held a range of governance roles including a director of the WestVic Dairy, Bonlac Supply Company and Deputy Chair at Dairy Australia.

Dr Tracey Marsden - BVSc (Hons), Grad. Dip. Voc.Ed.Train., MBA, EMPA

Tracey has qualifications in veterinary science, business and public administration, adult education. She has worked in the Victorian public sector since 2014. During this time she has led a number of significant legislative reforms relating to animal welfare and domestic animals. She previously worked in dairy, biosecurity and food policy.

Tracey is currently Acting Director Strategic Policy and Cabinet, managing cabinet processes, strategic policy and coordination across the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action delivery teams.

Peta Slack-Smith - BSc (Wool & Pastoral Science), Grad Cert, Rural Science (Cotton Production), GAICD

Peta has experience in the public sector at state and federal lebels, in miniterial offices and with statutory authorities. She has worked in the private sector at  ASX-100 corporates and start-ups. She has worked in numerous industries (cotton, grains, dairy, wool and livestock) with responsibility for corporate affairs, government relations and statutory reporting, corporate communications, policy development, issues and crisis management, trade policy & market access, CSR and stakeholder management. Peta has advised CEOs, boards, ministers, companies and industries through threats to reputation, new operating environments, and changes to consumer and stakeholder expectations.

She is also a graduate of the Mt Eliza Business School, and Harvard Business School and the recipient of two prestigious awards including a Churchill Fellowship and the Fairfax Fellowship in Ethical Leadership. Peta has strong knowledge of the dairy industry, including as Executive Manager of United Dairy Farmers of Victoria.