eastAUSmilk and Australian Dairy Farmers

 eastAUSmilk President and Queensland dairy farmer Matt Trace was appointed to the board of Australian Dairy Farmers at the Annual General Meeting held on 23 November. ADF is the national peak body of state-based dairy farmer organisations.

Matt is very grateful for the solid support he received from industry across the country to take up this role, and particularly for the support from the northern industry. Former QDO Board member Joe Bradley attended the meeting and exercised a large number of proxy votes in accordance with the wishes of Queensland members of ADF.

Previously, Queensland dairy farmer views had been represented on the ADF Board by Brian Tessman, who did not nominate for re-election. We should all be very grateful to Brian for his good work on the Board, on behalf of dairy farmers everywhere.

The resolution at the AGM proposing appointment of an independent director was defeated, therefore there is currently a vacancy in that role, and a new independent director will be appointed by ADF shortly.

Because of the potential conflict of interests, Matt will stand down from his position as chair of eastAUSmilk, and from the eastAUSmilk board, in the near future. eastAUSmilk’s Gympie/ Moreton/ Burnett District Council will be asked to appoint a new member to the eastAUSmilk board, to replace Matt.

The eastAUSmilk Board will then also need to meet to appoint a new chair.

At the Annual General Meeting, ADF deferred election of their new President, to allow the Victorian Farmers Federation to fill the vacant Australian Dairy Farmers National Council positions from Victoria.  Because the chair is elected by the ADF board and the ADF National Council jointly, the absence of eight National Council members from Victoria would be significant in that election, and those at the ADF AGM thought they should give the biggest milk-producing state the chance to have their full say in the ballot.

Matt Trace, eastAUSmilk President