VFF president flags second round of draft constitution consultation

The presidents of the United DairyFarmers of Victoria, grains, eggs, pigs and livestock councils have signed a letter, calling for proposed constitutional changes to be paused.

The chicken meat and horticulture councils did not join in endorsing the call.

But VFF president Emma Germano has hit back, saying the board had exposed "historical failings" of the VFF and was giving members the opportunity to understand those issues.

"Accordingly, the board is seeking feedback about how the VFF becomes a sustainable and professional advocacy organisation to meet the needs of Victorian farmers," she said in a letter to the commodity council heads.

The initial letter from the commodity councils comes as a disaffected group of members awaits the outcome of a second push calling for an extraordinary general meeting.

A motion, seeking to remove Ms Germano and vice-president Danyel Cucinotta, would be moved at the EGM.

Consultation on the draft constitution closed on August 18 and Livestock Council president Scott Young, Ballan, said councillors were "deeply concerned" about the proposed changes.

In a letter to the VFF, the council called on the board to pause the process of changing the constitution until the leadership of the organisation had stabilised.

"As we see it, there is a pending EGM to spill the leadership, an incomplete board and discord within the VFF - it is not the time to be making radical alterations to the organisation's constitution," Mr Young said.

"Even if the VFF was in good order, we believe that the constitution is complex and therefore requires far greater consultation than has been offered."

Ms Germano has written to the five council heads, noting Egg Council president Meg Parkinson and Grains Council president Craig Henderson were directors, when the board unanimously approved the "approach to review the constitution".

The commodity group presidents were "all part of the VFF planning day on June 15, 2023, when you were advised about your legal responsibilities and potential personal liabilities associated with the current constitution".

She said there was no disagreement that the VFF's lawyers draft a revised constitution for consultation prior to it being formally considered by members.

"The consultation process initiated by the board includes these views by a range of members, but also completely opposite views where members seek reform of the VFF to a modern and professional advocacy organisation that delivers favourable policy outcomes for all Victorian farmers," she said.

She said she expected a second draft of the constitution to be prepared, along with the opportunity for further feedback from all members.

"It is the view of the board, a requirement of the Corporations Act, and especially considering the breadth of feedback so far, that all members have equal opportunity to individually to express their views in an unbiased manner, and that they are able to vote on the constitution is a similar fashion," she said.

"The turmoil alluded to in your correspondence has arisen as a result of us seeking to create an opportunity for all members to discuss and consult on the future of the VFF.

"These attempts undermine the democracy that our organisation is built on."

The Livestock Council also suggested members write their own individual letter to the VFF.

The council suggested members tell the VFF "at its heart, (it) is a member organisation - the proposed changes create a top-down structure, which is unacceptable for a member organisation.

"Any changes to the constitution, apart from legislative changes, should be member-led."

The proposed changes risked the VFF being led by people who did not understand livestock farming and who had no "skin in the game", thus eroding the credibility of the organisation.

The council also raised concerns about changes to branch structure, board involvement in policy matters and called for an independent chair of the policy council.

"The VFF is a member organisation and as such members, not the board, should be determining the makeup and influence of commodity groups," the council suggested.

Mr Young said he wanted to truly represent his members.

"I want to pass information down to them and get information back from them, so that I am representing them correctly," he said.

"In a short timeframe like this, you can't do that."

UDV president Mark Billing, Colac, Vic, said the presidents, and their committees, felt the amount of change and lack of consultation needed to be rectified before they could move forward.

"The first issue was lack of consultation, before it came out in that draft form," Mr Billing said.

"Most organisations I have been involved in, when they are doing constitution change, start with the members and work up, not the other way around.

"You need to bring members along with constitutional change, because a constitution is a contract between the organisation and the members."

He said he understood Ms Germano had stood on a platform of modernising the organisation.

"But you can't modernise an organisation without working with the members as you do that," he said.

Ms Parkinson, Fish Creek, said there was general concern about the way the matter was being handled.

The council's south Gippsland branch had also written to head office, telling staff they did not support the changes.

"I gather there have been a lot of branches, doing this," Ms Parkinson said.

"I think the general feeling from everybody is that there is so little time and the changes are radical."

She said the key issue was members had to feel confident their voices would be heard.

"Our members expect to be able to get assistance when they need it, and I think that's a core issue - there's an assumption that when all hell breaks loose in their life, they can talk to the VFF."

That was partly due to staff shortages, she said.

Grains Council president Craig Henderson, Berriwillock, Vic, confirmed he had signed the letter, on behalf of his group.

He also raised "serious concerns" about the timeline for the changes "under the current environment".

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