UPDATE: UNITED Dairyfarmers of Victoria members will pay an increased levy from July 1 this year.
The levy will move from 0.042 cents a litre to 0.06c/litre - the first change in levy value for five years.
But members at the UDV annual conference at Moama today squashed locking in further future levy increases for the moment.
The original resolution called on the UDV levy for members, which currently sits at 0.042c/litre, to be “changed to 0.06c/litre for 12 months from July 1, (then to) 0.07c/litre from July 1, 2011 and 0.08c/litre from July 1, 2012.”
West Gippsland UDV member John Versteden moved an amendment delaying discussion about future levy increases until next year.
He said he was not opposed to levy increases but at the moment would prefer it be reviewed on an annual basis.
The motion was carried which means after the initial increase to 0.06c/litre the levy amount will be reviewed each year.
Members also voted in favour of allowing farmers who no longer supply milk to remain as members of the organisation.
The original amendment called on the “UDV (to) introduce on July 1, 2010 a subscription based rate for those farmers who wish to continue being members of the UDV who are not supplying milk and wish to continue to be involved in the dairy industry, based on the minimum VFF base rate for voting members (currently $550 GST inc).”
This was altered by adding the wording “…who are not supplying milk each in their own name or through an associate entity” and was carried.
