Membership

1. PURPOSE 

The purpose of this document is to describe the policies for setting fees and administering VFF Membership. 

2. BACKGROUND 

Pursuant the Corporations Act, 2001 and the requirements and guidelines of the Australian Taxation Office, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the VFF Constitution, the Board of the VFF has the function to fix and charge VFF Membership Fees. 

3. POLICY

3.1 A VFF membership is available to any business involved in agriculture or a related industry that completes the required membership form, has not had their application declined by the Board, and has paid the relevant Membership Fee provides for the nomination of up to two Members that are natural persons; 

3.2 A VFF membership is alternatively available to any natural person involved in agriculture or a related industry that completes the required membership form, has not had their application declined by the Board, completes the required membership form and has paid the relevant Membership Fee provides for the nomination of one Member that is a natural person; 

3.3 The VFF membership application form and information required to be provided is determined by the CEO; 

3.4 In completing the form, applicants must select the primary commodity group they wish to join, that depending on the membership types applied for confers voting entitlements and communication preferences for that membership type; 

3.5 Applicants may select multiple secondary commodities or interest areas to access that information, but does do not confer any further voting entitlements; 

3.6 Membership approval or change of status is determined by the CEO, other than membership disputes that are determined by the Board; 

3.7 The Board may confer Life Membership on a natural person that does not attract a membership fee; 

3.8 Membership types are tiered to reflect benefits to members; 

The following policies to the setting fees and administering VFF membership: 

3.9 Detailed services linked to a membership type shall be determined by the CEO and published on the VFF website; 

3.10 Membership types shall be easily distinguishable; 

3.11 No member can directly or indirectly benefit from VFF membership over that of another member within a membership types; 

3.12 Membership types are the same for each commodity group or interest area; 

3.13 Contributions or production levies directed toward commodity groups shall not be collected; 

3.14 Members and non-members may make a membership contribution over and above the membership fee that contributes towards VFF operations; 

3.15 A business or person that makes a membership contribution is not entitled to direct how the contribution is used and shall not obtain a benefit, either direct or indirect from the making of a contribution; 

3.16 Membership fees are set broadly based on the costs of administering the VFF and the provision of services to and on behalf of members; 

3.17 Subject to a Board resolution to the contrary, membership fees are indexed annually according to the CPI rate published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics; 

3.18 VFF Membership is annual and starts on 1 October each year, reflecting the VFF financial year; 

3.19 Membership fees shall be paid in advance and may be paid in installments either monthly, quarterly or annually; 

3.20 Membership fees are accrued for use by the VFF monthly on the first day of the month; 

3.21 Membership fees shall be paid using any payment method determined by the CEO; 

3.22 Invoices for membership renewal or pro-rata installments shall be sent 60 days prior to the date the paid membership fee lapses; 

3.23 Monthly payment of a membership fee shall only be payable by direct debit of a credit card; 

3.24 Unfinancial members may receive services and retain voting rights for two months after the two membership fee due date has lapsed; 

3.25 Membership shall be cancelled if the membership fee is unpaid four months after the membership fee due date has lapsed; 

3.26 A member that cancels a membership is not entitled to a refund of any unused membership fee; 

3.27 The types and respective membership fee (exclusive of GST) are determined in table 1 below: 

3.28 The membership types in the above table come into effect on 1 October 2023, when all other membership types and fees are revoked. Transitional arrangements will be permitted by exception and subject to CEO approval for a period of 12-months. 

4. ACCOUNTABILITY 

VFF CHAIR 

VFF CEO 

5. RELATED POLICIES / PROCEDURES 

Policy G1; VFF Strategy and Policy Framework 

Policy G2; VFF Board Charter