Australian Dairy Farmers has been forced to defer the election of its president as the stoush between some Victorian dairy farmers and the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) spills into the national arena.
A newly elected VFF/United Dairy Farmers of Victoria policy council this week led the move to remove the Victorian representatives on ADF's national council.
The representatives were removed for an alleged conflict of interest because they were also members of the newly form breakaway group Dairy Farmers of Victoria (DFV).
They included former UDV president and now DFV president Mark Billing and former UDV president Paul Mumford, who last year failed in a bid for the VFF presidency.
The VFF failed to nominate national council replacements in time for ADF's annual general meeting on Thursday, November 23.
The presidential election is usually held immediately after the AGM.
ADF president Rick Gladigau said the decision was made to postpone the vote for president to allow the VFF and UDV more time to decide whether to appoint new representatives to the national council.
It has been deferred by a week to next Friday, December 1.
"VFF has written to ADF removing previous state representative members on ADF national council - and we await the nomination of VFF/UDV's new representatives," he said.
"We understand VFF/UDV is going through a time of change having only just appointed a new UDV council themselves, and the ADF board and national council thought it appropriate to allow a few extra days to enable these UDV nominations to occur."
Under ADF's constitution, national councillors are appointed by the state representative bodies.
For Victoria, the constitution states this is the Victorian Farmers Federation, through its commodity group United Dairyfarmers of Victoria.
A dairy farmer can only be a member of ADF if they are a member of the recognised state member dairy farming organisation.
Under the constitution, the ADF president is elected under a complicated formula - where each of the eight regions is represented either by a board member or one or two national councillors.
Mr Gladigau said the nation's peak dairy representative body would continue advocating for dairy farmers as it moved through the process of electing a president.
"Whether VFF/UDV as a member decide to exercise their right to appoint representatives to the national council to vote is up to VFF/UDV," he said.
"ADF, including its Victorian dairy farmer members that sit on board and policy advisory groups, will continue to work in the interests of Australia's dairy farmers."
UDV elects new policy council
The UDV announced the members of its newly elected UDV policy council on Monday, November 20.
The election followed the mass resignation of the UDV board and most of the policy council on September 26.
The VFF then restructured the UDV policy council - reducing the number of regions to three from 10.
The new UDV president is Winslow, Vic, dairy farmer Bernie Free.
The other members are:
- Gippsland regional representative: Jasmine Kneebone.
- Northern regional representatives: Bridget Goulding (two-year term) and Greg Brooks (one-year term).
- South-west regional representatives: Robert Campbell (two-year term) and Harper Kilpatrick (one-year term).
New ADF board member elected
Queensland dairy farmer Matthew Trace was elected to ADF's board at the AGM on Thursday.
Independent director Andreas Clark was not returned, creating a casual vacancy the board will fill at a future meeting.
Mr Trace replaced retiring director fellow Queensland dairy farmer Brian Tessman.
President Rick Gladigau thanked the outgoing directors for their service to the organisation.
"We thank Andreas for his contribution to ADF over the past two years," Mr Gladigau said.
"Andreas's independent views, business acumen and legal insights have been valuable.
"Brian Tessman leaves the organisation having made a tireless contribution, advocating on behalf of Australian dairy farmers, for several years."
Mr Trace, his wife Michelle and their six sons own and operate a dairy farm at Moy Pocket, Queensland, milking 150 cows with the help of a share farmer.
Mr Trace is a director of Norco Foods and president of eastAUSmilk.
The ADF board now comprises:
- Rick Gladigau, South Australia.
- Ben Bennett, Victoria.
- Matthew Trace, Queensland.
- Heath Cook, NSW.
- Independent director/casual vacancy.
A bid to change ADF's member regions to align with the Dairy Australia regional development program regions was unsuccessful.
The current dairy producing regions in the ADF constitution are: Eastern Victoria; Northern Victoria; Western Victoria; New South Wales; Queensland; South Australia; Tasmania; and Western Australia.
The regional development program areas are similar except for NSW with the northern part of NSW included in the Subtropical Dairy regional development program that also includes Queensland and the Riverina part of NSW included in the Murray Dairy regional development program that also includes northern Victoria.
Mr Gladigau said the vote on this resolution proved a useful barometer for what members were thinking at a time when ADF was undertaking an organisation review and reform process.
Want to read more stories like this?
Sign up below (select Dairy News) to receive our e-newsletter delivered fresh to your email inbox twice a week.