Calls for new single national dairy body
A new single, whole-of-industry, national dairy organisation may replace Australia’s national and regional milk industry bodies, following a taskforce recommendation.
A NEW unified national dairy organisation is set to replace Australia’s multitude of milk industry bodies, following a taskforce recommendation today.
Research and development, advocacy, policy and marketing boards would be fused together under the concept developed by the Australian Dairy Plan committee.
Three models were unveiled in today’s report – provisionally named ‘NewCo-A’, ‘NewCo-B’ and ‘NewCo-C’.
Committee chairman John Brumby told The Weekly Times the board recommended the ‘NewCo-B’ option, which would result in the marriage of entities such as Dairy Australia, the Australian Dairy Products Federation and Australian Dairy Farmers.
A vote on the three options is set to take place later this year.
“Of the three options put forward, NewCo-A would be only minor reform, NewCo-B brings about significant change, with NewCo-C representing radical reform,” Mr Brumby said.
“A fully integrated model is clearly needed. We heard that in feedback we received from farmers, from processors, from other groups of interest.”
If the new organisation is established, farmers will continue to contribute through a single dairy service levy much like the existing arrangement, with processors also making a financial contribution.
Dairy research would continue to attract matched funding from the Federal Government.
Mr Brumby said the new national body would operate through a unified national brand and a network of regional offices.
The former Victorian premier said feedback from farmers, processors and other parties will be sought between now and the end of February.
“There will be some flexibility with that February 29 date for those impacted by the bushfires in Gippsland, parts of NSW and Queensland. We understand that farmers and others dealing with the fires have a lot of their plate at the moment,” he said.
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Joint Transition Team chairwoman Shirley Harlock echoed Mr Brumby’s call for reform.
The Warrnambool region farmer said it was “time to move on from the industry institutions that helped us succeed in the past” and create a new unified model.
“Although we present three different strategic options in our report, we believe a fully integrated services model is best placed to achieve the transformational change sought by dairy businesses,” Ms Harlock said.
The dairy blueprint has already received tentative support from leading figures in the sector.
Australian Dairy Farmers president Terry Richardson welcomed the report, saying it reflected the sentiment of farmers across the country.
“While the ADF will change as a group, as an organisation, the services we provide will remain the same, as will the other organisations,” Mr Richardson told The Weekly Times.
“There’ll obviously be a lot of discussion and work on the final outcome but it makes sense to work more closely together, not just for the ADF but other national, state and regional organisations as well.”
NSW Farmers dairy committee chairman Colin Thompson said his colleagues would meet next week to consider the recommendations.
“We need to process the implications of the proposed model, and we will be actively shaping and defining a structure that will deliver for the various regions of the NSW industry,” Mr Thompson said.
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