Sarah Henderson, Senator for Victoria, said by 1 January 2020 the Australian dairy industry will have a mandatory code of conduct, ahead of the timetable that the Morrison Government took to the election.
Senator Henderson said the mandatory code would improve the contractual arrangements between dairy farmers and dairy processors.
“As a senator for Victoria I understand the need for clear safeguards outlining how farmers are treated as members of the supply chain and therefore the need for the code to be in place as soon as possible,” Senator Henderson said.
“I’ve been pushing for the process to speed up and am pleased to see that advocacy has paid off.
“Ahead of the code’s formal introduction the dairy industry is on notice to make sure that the contracts offered to farmers are appropriate and fair.
“The mandatory code is an election promise and is an outcome of the April 2018 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) report into the dairy sector.
“The dairy industry has had a huge role in developing the code and I look forward to the release of the exposure code later this week.
“Consultation on the exposure code will be open for four weeks and from January 2020 the industry will be bound by the new code.
“Stakeholder consultation is an essential component in the development of this mandatory code so I encourage all those in the Victorian dairy industry to review it and have a say,” said Senator Henderson.
For further information go to the Department of Agriculture’s Have Your Say survey site at https://haveyoursay.
24 October 2019