WHILE it believes the beef industry is already over-represented by peak bodies, Bindaree Beef wants to launch another beef industry body to represent disaffected beef producers at a State and Federal level.
The role of the task force proposed by Bindaree wasn’t fully defined, but the intent appears to be the creation of an expert panel capable of representing the views of Bindaree and its supporters to the highest levels of government.
There is a need for an alternative body "that is democratic and producer run", Bindaree spokesperson Leigh Belbeck told the Armidale Beef Industry Forum.
However, at least intially, Bindaree proposes to elect those who sit on the task force, and has initially nominated four people, three of them unknown to the industry and none of them full-time beef producers.
Ms Belbeck said lawyer Norman Hunt, the architect of the NSW "truth in labelling" legislation, would head up the body.
Mr Hunt was earlier described by JR Mcdonald as "the smartest man in the history of this industry".
Business economist Dr Selwyn Heilbron, the author of several industry reports, including a 2000 report on the live animal trade and a 2002 report into the effect of government charges on meat industry competitiveness, has according to Ms Belbeck agreed to sit on the task force as the "economic brains".
Ms Belbeck has also asked Max Eastcott, general manager of Gwydir Shire in northern NSW, and Dr Ian Fielding, a retired cancer surgeon, to join the body.
Mr Eastcott, who has had occasionally controversial terms as general manager with the Byron and Margaret River councils, is seeking to get collaboration between 113 major agricultural councils around Australia.
Dr Fielding, a cancer surgeon for 30 years, has since 1997 been producing beef in his retirement in the NSW Northern Rivers area.
Ms Belbeck believes his experience in advising State Government on medical system issues will assist the task force in its dealings with government.
To fill out the board, Bindaree is looking for nominations from cattle producers.
"You will have to trust us, I suppose, to do a selection process on this, but this is only year one—there has to be a starting point," Ms Belbeck said.
"If we can get three, four, five producers on this board, along with Norman, Max and Professor Heilbron, I think we’ve got a committee that is truly representative of the beef industry."
However, Ms Belbeck did not clearly define the role of the task force, except that it would "start liasing with State and Federal politicians on what we’ve been talking about today", including a national beef grading system.
"We need this task force to get involved in anything that pertains in any way to the beef industry so your voice is being heard—there’s no more confidentiality agreements taking place.
"We need this task force to put in submissions into all the enquiries we’re calling for. And they need to be constantly reporting back to the people here, so that you are kept fully aware, but most importantly, when you’re dissatisfied, you let these people know.
"They’re taking direction from us."
The "snag", Ms Belback said, was funding for the body.
Bindaree have apparently approached the Red Meat Advisory Council (RMAC) for funding from the Red Meat Industry Reserve Fund, but have been rebuffed.
"If we can’t get the funding from RMAC, the people on the board are unfortunately going to have to fund themselves until we can get access to those funds and get changes," Ms Belbeck said.
Ms Belbeck also outlined a range of other campaigns that Bindaree hopes to run, including:
- repopulat ing the inland using instruments like zonal taxation;
- getting the government to take on all the costs associated with NLIS and AQIS;
- pour more resources into boosting domestic beef consumption;
- reconside r the MLA’s international role, including the possibility of shutting down MLA’s international offices and letting exporters and government trade offices handle meat marketing.
Email a friend