Honour for Kimberley station veteran

Respected station holder Jim Motter has been recognised for his leadership and enterprise in the face of extraordinary challenges to pastoralists in the Kimberley region in recent years.

Mr Motter, who owns and operates Bulka station and is an industry veteran of 40 years, last weekend took out the Pastoralists and Graziers Association's Achievement Award for 2013.

He became chairman of the Kimberley Division of the PGA in August 2007 and held the office until October 2012.

In the role he confronted an unprecedented increase in pastoral rents, the National Heritage listing of the West Kimberley and the suspension of the live export of cattle to Indonesia in 2011.

He was a member and later chairman of the Kimberley Zone Control Authority of the Agriculture Protection Board until its abolition in 2010, and became chairman of its successor body, the Kimberley Recognised Biosecurity Group Inc.

He was instrumental in organising the whole of industry rally at Roebuck Plains station in June 2011 - the biggest gathering of pastoralists ever seen in the Kimberley.

PGA president Rob Gillam said Mr Motter had contributed much of his personal time on an unpaid basis to furthering the aims of the Kimberley.

"Mr Motter's accurate record keeping, plain spoken manner, knowledge of horsemanship, pastoralism in general, cattle work, feral animal control, familiarity with country and willingness to give advice in these areas of expertise contributed much to the ability of the PGA administrative staff to go about their duties with efficiency," he said.

Mr Motter has been a member of the PGA since 1989.