Peter Hawker and Scott Mitchell have been announced chair and vice chair, respectively, of Field & Game Australia, following the 2019 annual general meeting at The Grove in Wallan last month.
They have both been members of the organisation for more than a decade.
Mr Hawker is a Frankston branch member and Mr Mitchell is a Canberra member.
“My family has been members since 1970, I grew up reading the magazines,” Mr Hawker said.
He joined the board more than a decade ago, becoming vice chair in 2017.
“Conservation, hunting and clay target shooting have been a passion of mine since I was a child. Joining the board was my way of giving back to the FGA community,” Mr Hawker said.
Mr Hawker said he was looking forward to working with the board, management, FGA members and the broader community to continue to strengthen the association’s commitments to conservation, hunting and clay target activities.
“Looking at the challenges that lie ahead, the FGA team will be advocating for a duck season in challenging conditions,” Mr Hawker said.
Mr Hawker said the FGA team will do their best to explain how wildlife conservation, volunteer effort and duck hunters conform with the holistic view of having a duck hunting season.
“This is a big task on behalf of its members and the duck hunting community in which we face prevailing and persistent dry conditions across eastern Australia,” he said.
“It is one of our highest priorities.”
Mr Mitchell is also expected to play a pivotal role in promoting a duck season.
Like Mr Hawker, Mr Mitchell grew up hunting and shooting clay targets and has been a passionate shooter since he was a teenager.
He joined the board in 2017 and has a 20-year background in a range of political advisory roles.
Mr Mitchell said one of his main focuses was maintaining the organisation’s political engagement strategy.
“I’m also keen to support growing the organisations membership and fostering mutually beneficial relationships with other hunting and shooting organisations,” he said.
