WAFarmers Livestock Council has passed a motion today in support of holding Australia’s wool levy at 1.5 percent in the 2021 WoolPoll ballot.
The council has also advocated for a five-year WoolPoll cycle to give more certainty in research funding.
WAFarmers encouraged all eligible levy payers to consider the information in the Voter Information Memorandum (VIM) available on the WoolPoll website before determining their vote.
Australian Wool innovation levy payers have five levy rate options to consider: zero, 1pc, 1.5pc, 2pc and 2.5pc. Growers need to number at least one box to cast an eligible vote on the WoolPoll ballot paper, placing the number 1 in the box of their first preference, but they can also complete their paper by placing numbers in the remaining four boxes in order of their preferences, ie 2, 3, 4 and 5, with 5 being their last preference. Voting can be done online, by mail, email or via fax.
AWI has stated a preference for an increase in the levy to 2pc, whereas peak grower body WoolProducers Australia and the Australian Wool Growers Association have supported the status quo.
WAFarmers Livestock president Geoff Pearson said WoolPoll offers a genuine democratic process, and all eligible levy payers should vote regardless of the WAFarmers position.
“A democratic process exists for levy payers to have their say, on the rate they feel they wish to contribute,” he said.
WAFarmers wool spokesperson Steve McGuire, who is also a WoolProducers Australia director, said, “with votes preferential in nature, levy payers should complete their preferences carefully.”
“Following the information available in the VIM, levy payers will determine the rate they feel they want to pay; however, WAFarmers Livestock Council has endorsed the position of status quo,” he said.
WoolPoll voting opens on 13 September 2021 and closes 5 November 2021.
Vote 1 percent at WoolPoll, then preference 1.5pc. Zero voters should preference 1, then 1.5. Make your vote count.
WA Farmers Livestock Council, you are recommending to keep the status quo, a 1.5 percent compulsory levy and a five year WoolPoll cycle to give more certainty in research funding. What has been researched in the last 10 years that has benefited any WA wool grower? Keep asking yourself, what am I getting out of this organisation? As a levy payer, I am sick of funding an organisation that is wasting $100 million a year.
WA wool growers, think about a compulsory 1 percent levy, then all those wool growers that are in love with AWI can send AWI as much money as they desire, voluntarily. We have to hobble AWI until we can get the money going in the right direction in research and development that will benefit the wool grower. At the moment, the only people that are benefiting are those on the payroll and they don’t pay levies. So obviously, they want the levies as high as possible.