Doubt over GRDC revamp
GRDC Western Panel chairman Peter Roberts told last week's Crop Updates conference that he was sceptical a new structure will improve results for growers.
The GRDC's structure has been under review since 2013, which, up until now, has been largely driven by a grower preference for greater transparency and grower control within the organisation.
A review of the GRDC has recommended that it move from a statutory corporation to an Industry Owned Corporation.
Groups representing grain farmers met to discuss the recommendations and have decided to set up a database of all growers who pay levies that fund the corporation.
Many growers have voiced their frustration at having to pay a one per cent levy that comes straight of their yearly grain cheque.
The corporation is one of only a few "inside government" RDCs left in the country.
Mr Roberts said he questioned the notion that if changes were made, there would a better outcome be achieved for industry.
"If you're talking about what we spend our money on, where you get to eventually regardless of the process, you need to understand that growers have input in that," he said.
"Under the current panel for the Western Region, nine are growers. And underneath that we have 80 growers and agronomists feeding information into the panel, so are we going to get a better result under a different structure? I'm not sure that we will."
But Mr Roberts also said the board wanted to ensure that the structure was right moving into the next 20-year period.
"Nothing is set in concrete but the review raised some good questions," he said.
"There is no set rule about how an IOC should look, but the standard rule is that in all IOCs growers get a vote."
Mr Roberts said he could not speculate on whether growers would be elected or appointed under a new structure.
"This will all be driven out of this process, whatever the structure and whatever the governance around that, it will be driven by those people," he said.
Industry stakeholders are scheduled to meet with the Government in Canberra this week to discuss their decision on a restructure.
