GrainGrowers Members Approved Changes to the Organisation’s Governing Principles

Members of GrainGrowers, which represents grain growers in Australia, have approved changes to the organisation’s governance principles aimed at strengthening its capacity for representation and advocacy at national level. The new regulations allow farmer organisations operating at state level (State Farming Organisations – SFOs) to apply for membership of GrainGrowers, whilst ensuring that the organisation’s current structure, which is managed by producers, is maintained. Members also re-elected the current Chair of the Board, Rhys Turton, and Western Region Director Richard Konzag.

Following this change, state farming organisations will be able to apply for membership within GrainGrowers and contribute to policy development through the organisation’s governance mechanisms. The regulation is intended to provide a new avenue for participation in identifying common issues faced by grain producers across Australia and in developing more coordinated policies on these matters.
GrainGrowers Vice-Chair Nigel Corish stated that the members’ decision reflected an awareness that many of the significant issues facing grain growers require a coordinated approach at a national level. Corish noted that issues ranging from input costs and labour shortages to freight transport, market access and regulatory practices are increasingly taking on a cross-state nature.

According to Corish, the change will enable GrainGrowers to draw on a broader pool of expertise and sector experience in the advocacy work it carries out on behalf of producers. Ensuring that the views of producers and sector representatives operating in different regions are more effectively reflected in policy-making processes is one of the key objectives of the restructuring.

However, the new structure does not alter the organisation’s existing governance and representation framework. GrainGrowers will continue to be a producer-led and producer-managed organisation. Whilst there will be no changes to the structure of the Board of Directors, the voting rights of individual members will also be preserved.

Corish emphasised that policy work must be based on a proper understanding of conditions on the ground, noting that the new mechanism will contribute to maintaining direct communication with producers and industry leaders across different regions of the country. This approach is expected to facilitate more comprehensive assessments of issues affecting grain production businesses, such as costs, logistics and trade.

In the Board of Directors elections, the incumbent Chair, Rhys Turton, was re-elected to represent the York region of Western Australia, whilst Richard Konzag, from the Mallala region of South Australia, was re-elected to the role of Western Region Director.
Corish noted that both individuals had made significant contributions to the Board, stating that their re-election demonstrated members’ confidence in their leadership and the way they represent producers. John Hassel, who stood for election, was also thanked for his continued interest in representing producers.

The decision stands out as a step towards ensuring broader institutional participation in GrainGrowers’ work on national agricultural policies. The ability of state organisations to participate in policy-making processes through their membership may help ensure that regional priorities are addressed at a national level. However, the practical impact of the new mechanism will depend on the level of participation by the organisations and the extent to which the policies developed address the challenges faced by producers.