Nominations are now open for two independent positions on the Cattle Council of Australia board.

Two years ago the council changed its constitution to introduce a direct membership option for producers,  and to create two new independent board positions.

Before that change, a producer could only be a member of Cattle Council of Australia by being a member of an affiliated State Farm Organisation (SFO) in their respective State.

The new rules allowed for any producer who was not a member of an SFO to join Cattle Council of Australia as a direct member for an annual fee of $100 + GST.

At the same time CCA also created two new independent board positions, one for northern Australia and one for southern Australia, for which all CCA members (direct members or SFO-based members) are eligible to stand. The remaining eight directors on the CCA board are appointed by each SFO, with one board seat per SFO.

A CCA media statement released today said CCA members wishing to stand for one of the two positions must be supported by 20 direct members.

Nominations are due by September 29.

The vote will occur at this year’s CCA annual general meeting in Adelaide on Wednesday, November 9.

Direct members can also nominate to sit on one of Cattle Council’s four policy consultative subcommittees – Animal Health, Welfare, Biosecurity and Environment (AHWB&E); Research, Development and Adoption (RD&A); Marketing, Market Access and Trade (MMAT) and Industry Systems and Food Safety (ISFS).

The subcommittees help the Council to form national industry policy and guide its priorities.

Expressions of interest to join a policy subcommittee must be lodged with CCA by Thursday, October 20.

The council, in conjunction with several other groups in the grassfed cattle industry, has agreed to adopt a new fully directly elected board structure in future.

However, progress on that front continues to be delayed by challenges to find an effective way to fund the new organisation going forward.

Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce vetoed the council’s previous push for funding from the statutory $5 per head compulsory industry levy. Options now being considered include a combination of direct membership fees, the potential for a voluntary non-government levy, opportunities for CCA to secure revenue from industry IP developed with grower levies, and commercial revenue streams. The council has previously estimated the new organisation will require about $4 million a year to run.

In a statement released today CCA said its AGM in Adelaide on November 9 will discuss the direction of the organisation into 2017.

Cattle Council chief executive officer Jed Matz said the association recently had a win with the Primary Industries Levy and Charges Collection Amendment Bill 2016 being passed last week and hoped to use the momentum to further the Council’s restructure agenda.

“Cattle Council continue to be committed to moving toward a directly elected representation model which will allow Cattle Council to focus on delivering the best outcomes for grass-fed producers,” Mr Matz said in the council’s statement.

“We currently have two directly elected board members, which are now open for nomination.

“I encourage any Cattle Council member who wants the best outcomes for producers and industry to submit their nomination before the closing date.

“It is not too late to be involved either – producers can sign up on Cattle Council’s website to become a direct member and have their say.”