New national dairy body mooted by "shunned" Dairy Connect

"We've got to be inclusive so therefore we wouldn't put any restriction on who would want to be part of it," Dairy Connect chief executive Shaughn Morgan said.

"Dairy Connect has been in discussions with NSW Farmers, with which we have now signed an MOU (memorandum of understanding) to show us working collaboratively to look at the formation of a single dairy body in NSW.

"And only yesterday, representatives of Queensland Dairyfarmers' Organisation, NSW Farmers and Dairy Connect had a meeting where we talked about the importance of forming one body to focus upon the fresh milk states."

Discussions were also being held with Victorian group Farmer Power but it had not yet approached other groups about joining the new body dubbed 'Australian Dairy Voice', which was still in the conceptual phase.

Asked why Dairy Connect did not instead join Australian Dairy Farmers (ADF), Dairy Connect chair George Davey said the ADF had excluded Dairy Connect and Farmer Power.

"Since the inception of Dairy Connect, we have attempted to work with ADF," he said.

"They have excluded us.

"They even changed their constitution to ensure that we couldn't become a member.

"The dairy industry leaders at the moment talk the talk but don't walk the walk.

"They talk about national unity, they talk about one voice, they talk about working collaboratively and then exclude us, exclude Farmer Power.

"There is a lack of national leadership.

"And when there's a vacuum, then other advocacy groups will come in to fill that vacuum because things have to be done then, of course, ADF and others don't like that.

"We have consistently wanted to be team players, we're not spoilers; we can't get on the field."

Pointing to Dairy Connect's work on the labelling of plant-based alternative to milk, supermarket discounting, a transparent market and the mandatory code, Mr Davey said the ADF had failed to take leadership.

"We would have preferred that they took the initiative and we would come in behind them and support them," he said.

Australian Dairy Voice is at such an embryonic stage, a structure or constitution is yet to be put in place.

Dairy Connect hopes to hold a meeting with all interested groups in the first quarter of 2020 to build a consensus about the form the body will take.

"In discussions with NSW Farmers and QDO, we want to look at what's happening in terms of the fresh milk states, and that could see us take a whole different approach to the way advocacy and RD&E are done throughout NSW and Queensland," Mr Morgan said.

The move coincides with the deadline for the delivery of the Joint Transition Team plan for the reform of the industry's advocacy bodies to the four Australian Dairy Plan (ADP) chairs.

Mr Morgan said there was no conflict between the ADP and the new body.

In fact, ADF was welcome to join.

"Any organisation is welcome to come along and talk about what they see as the important issues," he said.

"Anyone that has different points of view is invited to come around the table."