VICTORIAN Farmers Federation members have voiced dissatisfaction at the peak farming body’s “Band-Aid solutions”, which they say mask deeper issues within the organisation.
This week the VFF board announced the approval of a new tiered membership structure for the group, as well as a process for amending the VFF constitution.
“Transformation of the VFF is well under way and we’re hard at work to ensure the organisation is positioned to deliver for all members and Victorian farmers in the years ahead,” VFF president Emma Germano said.
“A new membership structure with tiered categories was agreed to and will ensure VFF membership delivers on value for money and helps engage farmers to have their say on pressing issues.”
Quambatook farmer and former VFF grains group president Brett Hosking told The Guardian that while he was not yet fully aware of what the changes would entail, these were not the kind of changes members were after.
“I think traditional members are looking for a pointier, more proactive VFF – one that is a bit more nimble and results focused,” Mr Hosking said.
“I don’t think they were so concerned about the membership categories, I think they were more interested in the output of the organisation.
“I think it’s an attempt to demonstrate that they are proactive and trying to make change, rather than dealing with some of the deeper issues, which are more heavily focused around membership and engagement of members than anything else.”
The VFF board rejected a request by more than 150 members to hold an extraordinary general meeting.
“The current request for an EGM is defective in regard to the Corporations Act and the EGM cannot be validly held associated with this request,” Ms Germano said.
“However, the board has resolved to issue a notice of intention to call an EGM on November 20, 2023, for the purposes of amending the VFF constitution.
“We will invite all members to provide feedback on the constitution and lodge other resolutions to the EGM.”
Mr Hosking, who was leading the push to hold an EGM alongside former grains group presidents Ash Fraser and Andrew Weidemann, said that under the VFF constitution a minimum of 100 signatures was needed to call an EGM, and the VFF board must respond within 21 days.
“Members themselves can call (an EGM) outside of VFF control, and that may well be the next step,” Mr Hosking said.
“I feel like there is an opportunity here for VFF to be really accountable and really up front with their members, and they just seem to be avoiding it wherever they can at the moment, which is disappointing.
“As someone who has been involved in the organisation for a long time now, I would have liked to have seen more from them.”
The changes follow a period of unrest within the VFF. Grains commodity members wrote to the VFF board in March asking for more clarity and transparency in how their membership fees were being distributed. The letter has had no formal response.
“I love the VFF, I love what it does for farmers and it is a really important organisation, so we need it to be strong and we need it to be productive, and hopefully we can get to that point sooner rather than later,” Mr Hosking said.
