Australian Dairy Farmers lobby moves to lock out farmer votes
Australia’s peak dairy farmer body is trying to block new farmers joining, despite having just 465 members registered to vote.
Leaders of the Australian Dairy Farmers lobby group are making a desperate bid to block NSW rivals from registering to vote at their annual general meetings.
As of last month, ADF had 465 farmers on its books registered to vote at its November 25 AGM, out of an estimated 5000 across Australia.
ADF’s current constitution bans anyone from outside a nominated set of state dairy farmer organisations from voting at the AGM, despite it being in control of $17m of assets, including an $11m Dairy Industry Stabilisation Fund that was created in the 1960s to support the whole industry.
Yet the ADF constitution restricts membership to a select list of state dairy farmer bodies, including the United Dairyfarmers of Victoria, which has 800 of Victoria’s 2600 dairy farmers, and NSW Farmers Association Dairy Committee, with about 100 of NSW’s 532 dairy farmers.
Others listed in the constitution are the Queensland Dairyfarmers Organisation, South Australian Dairyfarmers Association, and the dairy councils of the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association and the Western Australian Farmers Federation.
But within NSW, members of the rival Dairy Connect group, which has about 80 large farmer members, have decided rather than be left without a voice, they would merge with QDO to form the new eastAUSmilk lobby group.
QDO still exists as an incorporated entity, clearing the way for NSW Dairy Connect farmers to register to vote at the ADF AGM.
ADF directors have responded by drafting a resolution to go to next week’s AGM that further restrict its membership, by amending the constitution to demand in the future farmers can only register to vote if they have joined the recognised state body in which they operate.
The explanatory memorandum to the resolution states it has been drafted by the ADF board because the “existing constitution lacks clarity” on eligibility.
Dairy Connect farmers group president Graham Forbes said he and other NSW members had joined QDO and registered to vote at the ADF AGM, but were disappointed by the bid to exclude them from future meetings.
“There’s a real lack of leadership here in a body that should be representing all farmers,” Mr Forbes said. “ADF has just 400 (465) registered members, (of whom) 100 voted at last year’s AGM. Is that the right way to do things?”
UDV president Paul Mumford disagreed, arguing NSW farmers could register by joining the NSWFA dairy committee, rather than via the QDO.
There are six nominees standing to fill two board positions at next week’s AGM – John Versteden, Colin Thompson, Daryl Hoey, Robert Brokenshire, Ben Bennett and Heath Cook.
Join the conversation
South Aus drought hits milk pool
Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton have been invited to tour South Australia’s drought-hit dairy region.
Read more
Farmers pocketing less money after manufacturing giant ditches fat in ice cream
A manufacturing giant has changed its ice cream recipe as international demand for butter and milk fat soars, but leaders say consumers and farmers are worse off.
Read more