Livestock Annual Meeting and Conference



All Seasons Resort, Bendigo. Commencing Thursday, 19 April, 2012 at 10am.

Nominations are now open for all positions on the 2012 VFF Livestock Council including President, Vice President, Regional Councillors and the Additional Councillor.

YOU CAN DOWNLOAD NOMINATION FORMS BY CLICKING HERE

All nomination forms must be lodged with the Chief Executive Officer of the Victorian Farmers Federation no later than 5pm, Thursday, 8 March, 2012. A Curriculum Vitae of 500 words or less, and a summarised version of 250 words or less, should accompany your nomination.

Any questions regarding the nomination process can be directed to the CEO's office on 03 9207 5503.

Livestock Council nominations

The following outlines the process for Livestock Council nominations:

All members are allocated to a VFF branch. Branches with livestock members are allocated to one of nine VFF Livestock Regions across the state. Voting livestock member representatives from these nine regions, plus the Livestock President and Livestock Vice President, and an additional Livestock Councillor make up the VFF Livestock Council.

Livestock Council is responsible for policy development and direction of the VFF Livestock Group.

Under the VFF constitution, which was amended in 2010, each elected representative is elected for a two year term. This includes office bearers for local branches and regions.

The Livestock President and the Livestock Vice President position are declared vacant in every even year (i.e. 2012, 2014 etc.). All voting members (those who have Livestock as their first preference commodity) are invited to nominate.

Due to the changes in the formation of Livestock Council (as endorsed by the Livestock group in 2011) there will now be nine regional councillors and one additional councillor. As these are new regions all positions will be vacant this year.

The following four Livestock Regional Councillor positions fall vacant in even years;
1. Wimmera
2. Corangamite
3. North East
4. East Gippsland

The following five livestock Regional Councillor positions and the additional councillor will fall vacant in odd years;
5. Mallee
6. Glenelg
7. Goulburn Broken
8. West Gippsland
9. North Central
10. Additional Councillor

Please note positions listed from 5-10 will initially serve a one year term, with elections being held in 2013 electing councillors for two year terms.

All Livestock members within a region are eligible to nominate to fill a vacancy in a Livestock Regional Councillor position. If there is a need for an election (more than one nominee), all members within that region may vote to determine their Livestock Representative.

For the Livestock Additional Councillor position, all Livestock Members are eligible to nominate. If there is a need for an election, all members may vote to determine the Representative.

For further information contact Darren Keating or Jayne Gleed at the VFF Livestock Office on 1300 882 833.



VFF Livestock Group restructure

The VFF Livestock Group Annual Conference held in Ballarat on June 23 2011 also saw the launch of the VFF Livestock Group Restructure Proposal.

With the adoption of the new VFF constitution at the 2010 AGM the Livestock Group was bound to have a new membership structure, regions and a process for forming Livestock Council in place for the 2012 Annual Conference. This includes current District Council (DC) structure ceasing to exist at 2012 conference.

With this in mind Livestock Council has released a paper that covers a new structure for the Livestock Group. Following a presentation on the proposal the conference delegates endorsed the paper being released for comment by all livestock members with the following resolution; That VFF Livestock Members review the paper “VFF Livestock Group Restructure Proposal” and provide comment to Livestock Council by July 29th 2011.

The paper can be found here:

Livestock restructure proposal (339kb)

In summary the paper proposes the following;

VFF Livestock Council puts the following recommendation to the Livestock Membership for comment prior to implementation at next year’s annual conference;

That the following structure be adopted for the VFF Livestock Group;

COUNCIL
• There will be 12 members on the Livestock Council made up of;
• President and Vice President, elected by all members
• Nine Regional Councillors, elected from the regions
• One additional Councillor, elected by members

REGIONS
• That there will be 9 Livestock Group Regions

Please forward all comments by July 29 to Darren at dkeating@vff.org.au or 03 9207 5545



The VFF Livestock Group
The VFF Livestock Group is the peak representative body for livestock producers in Victoria, operating in its present form since 1978. The Group currently represents the interests of approximately 2500 farm businesses, most of which are family owned and operated.

Membership is state-wide and covers the key Victorian agricultural industries of cattle, sheepmeat, wool and goats. Together these industries' output is valued at around $2.5 billion for Victoria's rural economies each year.

Victoria is currently home to 16 percent of Australia's cattle herd, 20 percent of the Australian sheep flock and about a quarter of the Australian goat population. With one quarter of the nation's farm businesses Victorian, VFF Livestock plays an influential role in determining the priorities and direction of this major Australian industry.

The VFF Livestock Group's core business involves policy development, issues management and advocacy on behalf of our producer members to industry and government. Through the extensive branch network and district council representative structure, VFF Livestock has good coverage of the state livestock issues.

Member's views and issues are also pursued at a national level through VFF Livestock's membership of the Livestock Peak Industry Councils - Sheepmeat Council of Australia (SCA), WoolProducers Australia (WPA), Cattle Council Australia (CCA) and Goat Industry Council Australia (GICA).

Over the past twelve months the group has dealt with a number of livestock sector issues both new and ongoing. These include changes in animal welfare legislation, mulesing, changes to beef importation regulations, changes in the livestock market players, and the productivity commission of Research and Development Corporations.

Listed below are a few of the issues the Group has been working on over the past 12 months;

• The VFF Livestock Group remains committed to maintaining Biosecurity against exotic diseases however we feel strongly that so called endemic diseases are being overlooked and underestimated by both farmers and government alike;
• NLIS: The Victorian cattle tags remain cheapest in Australia at $1.20;
• Representing VFF Livestock Group members interests in the development of the new National Industry Codes of Practice and the Victorian Governments “Livestock Management Act”, the legislation that will see the industry ‘codes' effectively setting the standards for animal welfare;
• Successfully continued legal proceedings in the Hahnheuser case to ensure that the Australian farmers can go about their business without fear of environmental activist damaging businesses and using the trade practices act as a defence;
• Continued to fight for and support the Live Export industry (worth approximately $1.8 billion to the Australian economy);
• Continued to work with and influence the grower owned research and development companies, Meat and Livestock Australia and Australian Wool Innovation;
• With the lamb industry being worth around 1 billion dollars to Victoria annually the VFF Livestock Group considers it a priority to ensure that processes are in place to protect the integrity of lamb as a product; and
• Involved in the development of the National Wool Declaration to assist buyers in identifying wool that has a low risk of dark fibre, chemical residues or is from sheep that have not been mulesed.

The Group also plays an important role on a national level through its affiliations to the National Peak Commodity Councils. These Councils include: Cattle Council of Australia, Sheepmeat Council of Australia, WoolProducers and the Goat Industry Council of Australia. Our voting power with each of these bodies ensures that member concerns are represented at a national level and Victorian interests are well understood across the country.



Looking Forward

For the coming 12 months the VFF Livestock Group will maintain a focus on the current policy issues as well as being prepared for any new and emerging issues. One key area of work for the Group will be contributing to the Sheep and Cattle Industry Codes. These will have play an important role in not only setting the regulations in relation to animal husbandry, but also in demonstrating to customers both domestic and international that Australian animal welfare procedures area world's best practice as we have always stated.

In addition there is also a clear direction from the VFF Livestock Council that there needs to be continued work on improving representation of and communication with VFF Livestock Group members. This will involve changes that should see the Livestock Group well positioned to continue to be the voice of all Victorian livestock producers long into the future.

The VFF Livestock Groups makes sure your voice counts on the issues that matter to you.



Livestock Group President

Chris Nixon is a beef and dairy producer from Orbost, operating a 950ha property at Orbost and managing a 1,500ha property in East Gippsland. Chris's properties contain 500 dairy cows and 1000 beef cattle, which compromises of a self replacing Angus herd mainly producing store cattle for the feedlot market.

He has been involved in the VFF at a range of levels since 1987 ranging from Branch Secretary to Policy Council positions during that time. Chris has a strong history of experience on the VFF Economics Committee and is currently the VFF's representative on the Cattle Council Australia (CCA) and the Southern Australian Beef Research Council (SABRC). Chris was elected VFF Livestock Group President in 2009.



Livestock Group Structure

President:	Chris Nixon
Vice President:	Ian Feldtmann
Treasurer:	Chris Wallace-Smith

Regional Councillors

Mallee:	Leonard Vallance
Wimmera:	Robert Harding
Glenelg:	Kate Joseph
North Central:	Chris Wallace Smith
Corangamite:	Geoff Fisken
Broken Goulburn:	Ian Feldtmann
North East:	Michael McCormack
East Gippsland:	Steven Harrison
South Gippsland:	Barb Stewart

Additional Councillors

James Kirkpatrick
Michael Craig
Chris Draffin



Livestock Issues



Time to Have Your Say on National OJD Management

WoolProducers Australia and the Sheepmeat Council of Australia have released a discussion paper based on an extensive review of the Ovine Johnes Disease Management Plan 2007-2012. This discussion includes four possible options designated for future management of OJD, and an online survey where producers can select their preferred option. Producers are strongly encouraged to have their say. Please read this document, and for further information please contact the VFF livestock group on 1300 882 833 and ask for Darren or Charlotte.

For more information, see the below document:

Time to Have Your Say on National OJD Management (453kb)

Submission to Inquiry into Improvements in Animal Welfare for Australian Live Export Markets

The Livestock Group has made a submission to the Senate Inquiry into Improvements in Animal Welfare for Australian Live Export Markets. In summary the VFF Livestock group is a strong supporter of Australia’s Live Export industry due to both the employment opportunities and market competition for sheep and cattle that it provides to the Victorian Livestock sector. We believe that through Meat and Livestock Australia’s work Australian livestock producers have made significant contributions to animal welfare worldwide, and that these improvements are not limited to Australian livestock.

Our submission can be downloaded from the link below:

Submission to Inquiry into Improvements in Animal Welfare for Australian Live Export Markets (b)

Livestock farmers warned of reproductive losses caused by wild dogs

The Victorian Farmers Federation’s (VFF) Livestock Group has called for livestock producers to become more proactive in diagnosing the cause of calving losses, as diseases borne from wild dogs continue to wreak havoc across the state’s cattle herd.

While injury and deaths caused by wild dogs hunting livestock can have a significant negative impact on primary production, another problem was their potential to pass parasites on to cattle herds that can dramatically reduce calving percentages.

For more information, see the below document:

Neospora information (425kb)

Market Security

As the livestock industries are heavily reliant on export markets it is important to ensure their long term viability through meeting customers' needs. To do this the Livestock group ensures;

• That the National Livestock Identification System meets the needs of Victorian livestock producers and overseas customers.
• That the structures are in place to ensure the Biosecurity of Victorias livestock sector and the ability to demonstrate this to customers.
• We have an Emergency Animal Disease (EAD) response plan that is current and relevant.

Biosecurity

The single largest threat to Victorian Livestock Producers is an exotic animal disease (EAD) outbreak. The impact of such outbreaks can be clearly demonstrated by looking at recent Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks in the UK and closer to home the Equine Influenza outbreak in 2007. Ensuring that at a state and national level, we have a robust Biosecurity Strategy is one of the best ways to prevent this from happening.

The VFF Livestock Group plays a key role in ensuring the Biosecurity Stategy remains robust by continually lobbying government to ensure they have adequate resources to respond to outbreaks, taking part in EAD preparedness activities, and in the event of an outbreak playing a coordinating role in communicating between industry and government.



Industry Codes of Practice

There are numerous Codes of Practice that cover the farming of livestock in Australia. As farming practices and consumer expectations change so to do the Codes of Practice.

The most recently completed Code of Practice review was the Land Standards Transport Code of Practice. At present a number of Codes of Practice are under development or review including the Intensive Sheep Finishing Systems Code of Practice, the Sheep Welfare Code of Practice and the Cattle Welfare Code of Practice.

As these codes provide the backbone of state legislation it is important to for livestock producers to be represented in their development and review. The VFF Livestock group represents its members interests by working on theses codes both directly and through our peak council membership.