Voting

 

Who Could Vote?

The levy poll was open to all Dairy Service Levy payers, not just Group A members of Dairy Australia. Those eligible to vote in the poll were levy payers who had paid levy in 2005/06, without any minimum threshold payment level applying.

Internet Voting

Voting was not available over the internet. The experience of other agricultural service bodies that have conducted similar polls showed that the cost of investment in the technology was not a suitable expenditure of levy funds at that time. The technology is however, constantly under review.

What Were the Voting Entitlements?

The levy payer was the enterprise in whose name the levy is deducted. At the time, it was not considered feasible to provide for the splitting of votes between individuals in an enterprise.

Voting entitlements were issued to levy payers on 1 December 2006. The levy payments in 2005/06 were used to determine voting entitlements. As required by the Regulations, the entitlements were based on allocating one vote per dollar ($1) of levy paid.

After receipt of their voting entitlements, levy payers had 14 days to lodge a request for review with Dairy Australia if they felt there were any discrepancies. The Company then had 14 days to liaise with the levy payer if required before making a determination on the entitlement. If levy payers were not satisfied with the outcome of the review, then they were able to seek a further examination by a specially appointed independent Levy Poll Disputes Panel. 

Disputes Panel

The Disputes Panel was established under the Regulations and comprised:

Glenice Fox (Chairperson)

Glenice has considerable experience as a legal practitioner and mediator. She is currently Chairperson of the Liquor Licensing Panel of Victoria, a Rural Mediator with the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria, and Deputy Chairperson of the Compensation Assessment Panel, Marine National Parks & Marine Sanctuaries, Victoria. Glenice is from Benalla in north-east Victoria.

Winston Watts (Member)

Winston has a long history in the dairy industry, having been General Secretary and Executive Director of the NSW Dairy Farmers Association for 21 years and a consultant to the NSW Dairy Industry Conference. Winston is a member of the Order of Australia

Rod Ashby (Member)

Rod is an agricultural consultant (AAAC) and certified practising accountant (CPA) from Geelong in Victoria. He has had his own practice for 20 years and mainly advises broad acre farmers. Rod has co-authored a number of publications relating to finance, leasing and taxation issues relating to farm businesses. 

The Voting System

The Regulations require the preferential voting system to be used for the poll. This is the same system used for the House of Representatives in Federal elections as well as those elections for the Lower Houses of most state parliaments.

Under the preferential system, levy payers vote for all options in order of preference. If no option has an absolute majority of first preference votes, the least preferred option is distributed until one option has an absolute majority.

The preferential system is used in the poll because it will provide a clear, preferred option either on first preferences or after the distribution of preferences.