Ducks Unlimited New Zealand 45th Annual General Meeting,
3 August 2019 9am, Quality Inn, Whanganui

President Ross Cottle welcomed members to the 45th Annual General Meeting. Welcome to guest speaker Murray Stevenson.

APOLOGIES:
Liz Brook; Dawn Pirani; Paul Pirani; 
John Cheyne; Sharon Stevens-Cottle; Myra Smith; Glenys Hansen.

Motion: That the apologies tendered are accepted. Moved: John Bishop. Seconded: Jan Abel. Carried 

MINUTES OF THE LAST AGM Circulated and copies available at the AGM.
Motion: That the minutes of the last AGM be accepted as a true and complete record. Moved: Will Abel. Seconded: Di Pritt. Carried 

PRESIDENT’S REPORT – READ BY ROSS COTTLE
Moved: Ross Cottle. Seconded: Adrienne Bushell. Carried 

Financial Report – John Bishop 
Explanation of charitable trust requirements. Revenue stream Pharazyn, Treadwells, Muter Trusts, John Mortimer, South Wairarapa Rotary. South Island trip by Ross and Jim around $600 annually. Board of Directors expenses minimal, lot of meetings by Skype with annual trip to Ohakune.
Motion: That the financial report be accepted. Moved: John Bishop. Seconded: Di Pritt. Carried

Waterfowl and Wetland Trust Report – David Smith
The Trust is in good shape. The 2017 balance in Trust $516,000-ish, since then paid $40,000 to DUNZ. Currently $510,394, money paid out covered by Trust. Original fund $200,000 twenty years ago.
Motion: That the Trust report be accepted. Moved: David Smith. Seconded: John Bishop. Carried 

Election of officers
Board selects President Ross Cottle, Vice-President Dan Steele, Director William Abel. Nominate Jim Law, John Dermer to stay on. Nominated: Di Pritt. Seconded: Jim Campbell. Carried

Wetland Care – William Abel
2019 short on projects, centred on Wairio and project in Masterton.

Royal swans – William Abel
No trip to South Island, no swans and no cygnets.

Website – Paul Mason
Membership – 280 members, 57 still to pay subs. Includes 61 life members, honorary members. Moving more to electronic payments. Survey done on email/post preference for communications. Flight magazine available on website, can be searched by subject. More of the earlier magazines are being scanned on to the website.

Wairio Wetland – Jim Law
Reticulation of water from Matthews and Boggy Pond. GWRC has done work reticulating. Less has been spent this year – about $5,000. Reticulation funded by GWRC – around $30,000. DUNZ has spent $220,000 in total on Wairio. Partners are GWRC doing predator control, DOC – cutting grass on track. Victoria University – research sites at Wairio, planting more specimen trees. Planting day in July with a good write-up in Times Age. Ross took reporter Piers Fuller around wetland who wrote a national article on Stuff. Restoration committee has $10,000 in Trust. Significant donation of $15,000 also in Trust. Members should feel proud of this project.

Whio, blue duck – Peter Russell
Released 72 birds, North Island around 30 at Blue Duck Station. First release in 2000 was 7 birds. Flocks in South Island in three areas. Tasman , concern because of mast year with success because of 
trapping and 1080. Successful year. 

Scholarship
Three-year trial of 4 students – $5,000 each, Victoria, Massey, Christchurch, Waikato. Possibility of 1 Victoria student in 2020 to work at Wairio. Emma has given suggestions to unis of topics of study. 
General Ian Jensen – vote of thanks to Board members and for the organisation of the AGM weekend.

Meeting closed at 10am.