Warm welcomes and fond farewells
We’re delighted to welcome several new team members and celebrate some recent role changes:
- Tom Meredith joined us in October as Lab Supervisor, based at Hop Central, VIC.
- Ben Keir joined us in January as Farm Manager, based at Bushy Park Estates, TAS. We’re pleased that Tom Parry will remain with us until after harvest, ensuring a smooth transition.
- Maddy LeCarpentier also joined us in January as Payroll and Finance Coordinator, based at Head Office, TAS.
- Christian Montgomery has accepted a new role as Agronomy Technician based in VIC. He will report to Simon Whittock, Head of Breeding & Research.
- Mick Jackson has accepted a new role as Processing Facility Supervisor based at Hop Central, VIC. He will report to Michael Monshing, Processing Facility Manager.
Alongside these warm welcomes, we also want to acknowledge the past few months have brought significant change across the business. It’s important to acknowledge recent movements across the business, including a small number of redundancies as we respond to market conditions, as well as some well‑deserved retirements, service milestones, and team members moving on to pursue new opportunities. We sincerely thank everyone who has contributed to HPA, and wish them all the very best in their next chapter.
All staff updates
The next round of all staff updates have been scheduled for February. These sessions are a great opportunity to hear about:
- Current business performance
- Updates and feedback from the Board
- Preparations for the upcoming harvest
Please keep an eye out for session notifications. Your participation is important as these updates help keep us connected across HPA and the broader BarthHaas Group, and give you the opportunity to ask questions.
Employee engagement survey results
Thank you to everyone who took the time to participate in our annual employee engagement survey in December. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us understand what we’re doing well and where we can continue to improve.
We’re pleased to share that the overall results were positive, reflecting strong engagement, connection, and confidence across the organisation. The survey also highlighted several key areas for continued focus, ensuring we keep building on the strengths and opportunities you’ve identified.
A detailed breakdown of the results, and how we are responding, will be shared during the all staff updates in February.
Harvest preparation & recruitment
Recruitment for our 360+ casual harvest workforce is well underway across all farms. We’ve had a fantastic response from returning team members eager to come back for the 2026 season. Their experience with our operations, safety protocols, and harvest workflows will be invaluable.
We also look forward to welcoming new seasonal team members, with induction training scheduled to begin in early March.
Harvest training & safety
Preparation for harvest is progressing strongly, with many initiatives completed or underway to support a safe and efficient season:
- Increased employee involvement in risk assessments and training
- Elevated Work Platform and Working at Heights training
- Monthly general safety inspections across all farms
- Updated harvest induction materials and documentation
- Completion of equipment servicing and maintenance checks
- Harvest supervisor training
- Additional on‑site facilities, including lunchrooms and toilets
- Theory and practical induction sessions, including in‑field training
- Review and refinement of onboarding practices for casual harvest staff
These efforts ensure our people are well‑prepared, well‑supported, and working safely during our busiest time of year.
