FAQs

FAQs

About Cattle Australia membership

The Individual Membership form allows individuals to provide their primary PIC and any additional PICs. If you hold multiple PICs, you should aggregate your cattle numbers across all PICs for the purpose of listing your herd size in the application form. 

However, if your PIC is used for multiple members, you will need to divide your cattle numbers across the number of members registering using the PIC. 

For example: Rod Brown and his son Luke Brown both wish to register as Cattle Australia Individual Members. They have one PIC number with a herd size of greater than 5,000. As they only have one PIC, they can both register using the same PIC number. However, when selecting their herd size in the membership form, they should divide their total herd size between them. This means they will each have a herd size of 2,500 and should choose the’Herd size greater than 1,500 but less than 5,000,’ option when they each individually register for Cattle Australia membership.

About Cattle Australia

To help the agriculture sector realise the goal of $100 billion by 2030, the grass-fed cattle sector needs to elevate our national policy priorities and advocacy efforts. Both government and industry bodies have also recognised that the industry must be united and well represented to meet current and future challenges.

As a result, it was agreed that establishment of a new representative peak body, named Cattle Australia, was the best way forward.

Cattle Australia will be representing the interests of all Australian cattle producers. Cattle Australia is the democratic peak industry council tasked with:

  • Uniting levy payers
  • Engaging with cattle producers and industry stakeholders
  • Advocating on all matters important to the cattle industry
  • Leading and directing policy development and its implementation
  • Protecting the profitability, competitiveness and future of the cattle industry

The Restructure Steering Committee has explored a suite of funding options for Cattle Australia. Cattle Australia could only access levy funds if a majority of levy payers and the Federal Minister agreed to it. In the meantime, Cattle Australia will be funded by industry projects and state farming organisation memberships.

The constitution has been developed and is available here.

Cattle Australia has three categories of membership to allow grass-fed cattle producers and/or organisations to get involved in shaping the future of the grass-fed cattle industry. 

  • Individual Member (voting members): Cattle producers who are payers of the grass-fed levy and have paid the levy within the previous 24 months. Find out more information and apply to be an Individual Member.
  • Associate Member (non-voting members): Individuals and/or organisations who have an interest in, and are supportive of, the goals and values of Cattle Australia. It is at the discretion of the Board to admit Associate Members. Find out more information and apply to be an Associate Member.
  • Industry Member (non-voting members): Invested industry stakeholders, who will pay a Board-determined fee, which will be constructed on a fair and equitable basis. It is at the discretion of the Board to admit Industry Members. Please email info@cattleaustralia.com.au if you would like to become an Industry Member.

Cattle Australia has been developed to represent the interests of Australian grass-fed cattle producers. One of its key features is its new governance structure, which means that its Board and Regional Consultative Committee will be democratically elected by grassroots producers. By becoming a member and registering to vote, you’ll be able to participate in the Board election process and have your say on the future of the grass-fed cattle sector.

Signing up for membership is an easy process. All you need to do is complete the application form for the membership category you would like to join here

Cattle Australia Individual Membership fees are determined by the size of your herd.

Cattle Australia will have a:

  • Board of Directors – Nine-person Board of Directors and two skills-based Directors. Directors will determine the Chair.
  • Regional Consultative Committee – Fifteen producer representatives and eight State Farming Organisation representatives, with oversight of an Independent Chair.

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Garry Edwards

Managing Director and CEO, Maureen Pastoral Company

Garry was born and raised on a commercial beef cattle property south of Gloucester in New South Wales. Garry has personal cattle production interests in this region today as well as his corporate role as the Managing Director and CEO of AAM, a business that has a significant focus in continuing to expand beyond our cattle production interests in Central West NSW, near Forbes and Bective Station near Tamworth, NSW.

Garry has over 25 years’ experience in large scale livestock production management within the Australian agribusiness sector. His experience spans across a vast array of areas of the agricultural supply chain and includes managing businesses involved in livestock breeding, growing and finishing, financing of agricultural projects, implementation of precision agriculture practices, investigation and implementation of sustainability and innovation initiatives and developing and operating integrated agricultural businesses.

In 2007, Garry founded the company that today is AAM, commencing the development, operation and management of a portfolio of agricultural assets valued at $887 million and he remains the major shareholder of AAM.

Garry has a unique skill set across multiple facets of the grass-fed cattle production supply chain, from production through to finishing, as well as a unique perspective of the challenges facing all grass-fed producers within Australia through his involvement in the modernisation and development of livestock marketing facilities throughout Victoria, NSW and Queensland.

George King

Managing Director, The Whitney Pastoral Co and Manager, "Coombing Park"
George is a seventh generation Australian farmer, currently managing his family property which they have held since 1880. George operates an Angus breeding and finishing operation joining 1,500 cows per year, with a low-cost model turning off steers at feeder weights and direct sales of females.

George has long been on a regenerative agriculture path as it was the only way he could see to renovate their property 25 years ago without employed equity or working capital, which at the time they didn’t have. He continues with this model as it provides outstanding cost containments, continued production and profitability.

George is married with four (4) children, Harry 24, Emma 22, Dave 15 and Tom 13. He also enjoys flying and has his pilot’s license.

George is also a Founding Director of The Wellness House and a Founding Director of ONFARM CO. He has a strong voluntary involvement with his community including as the NSW Rural Fire Services Senior Dept Capt. and Chairman of St Paul’s Carcoar.

Bryce Camm

Grazier, camm agricultual group

Bryce Camm hails from Dalby in Queensland’s Darling Downs region where he oversees his family’s company Camm Agricultural Group; an integrated beef and cropping enterprise with interests across Queensland.

Bryce has been CEO of the group for the past eight years. Prior to that he was the Manager of the group’s award winning Wonga Plains Feedlot for eight years where he oversaw the operation triple in size. Growing up on “Natal Downs” Station in north Queensland Bryce undertook a dual degree in Business Administration and Communications at Bond University and is a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program as well as the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course.

Bryce is currently the Chairman of Beef Australia Ltd and the Immediate Past President of the Australian Lot Feeders Council, as well as a previous Director of the Red Meat Advisory Council. 

Elke Cleverdon

Owner and Director, Cleverdon Agriculture - Grass Fed Black Angus

Elke is an experienced non-executive director in the agriculture and customer-owned banking sector with a passion for member-centric organisations. She brings a grower perspective, coupled with her genuine drive to elevate the industry through innovation. She was selected to the National Farmers’ Federation ‘Diversity in Ag Leadership’ 2022, among 12 women nationally.

Elke has a broad background in the agricultural industry as a producer and rural financial coach across regional NSW, challenging business models and production systems for growers across a wide range of commodities. Elke has been a joint owner and director of a broadacre family cattle property at Harden, NSW, since 1993. Cleverdon Ag raises and trades black Angus cattle.

Elke brings a wealth of financial, risk management and governance experience. Her current non-executive director roles include Horticulture Innovation Australia (HIA), Murrumbidgee Health (NSW Health) and SWS Bank (a regional financial institution in NSW). 

Some of her many strengths include a strong focus on strategy, risk and a triple bottom line while chairing large-scale audit and risk committees.

Elke is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Fellow CPA, and holds a Master of Business Administration focused in marketing, finance, business strategy and leadership. Her critical thinking and business acumen after 16 years’ experience as an executive in customer-owned banking and the past eight years as a Rural Financial Coach, makes her an ideal candidate seeking to advance producers’ long-term best interests in a fair and strong supply chain.

David Foote

Director - Tandarra Partners

Nominated by: Peter Hall, Troy Setter, Bryce Camm, David Hill, Adam Coffey 

For the past 45 years, David has held rural property management, executive and senior management positions across all mainland states in areas of; beef cattle & sheep breeding, growing and lot feeding, meat retailing, small seed growing, irrigated fodder, and the further processing and exporting of primary products such as meat, grain and fodder.

His export experiences which started in 1989 included a role with Stanbroke Pastoral Company to help develop Stanbroke’ s Live cattle export program. Additionally, David managed the integration of Bottle Tree feedlot grain feeding in the production system while developing and launching their now globally recognised Diamantina beef brand.

David has been in a leadership role at the Lee Family’s, Australian Country Choice group of Companies since 1999 and progressed in that time from General Manager Properties & Livestock to Group Managing Director until stepping back in December 2020 from a full time role to a strategic advisory and board role.

Headquartered in Brisbane and employing over 1,400 staff across 42 operations, Australian Country Choice (ACC) operates Australia’s largest vertically integrated beef supply chain; encompassing cattle breeding, cattle growing and feedlotting to supply its integrated food processing facility in Brisbane that incorporates beef slaughter, beef boning, value-adding and case ready beef packing.

ACC’s cattle property portfolio of around 4 million acres in Queensland & NSW encompasses operations from the Barkly Tableland, CQ coalfields, Carnarvon ranges, Augathella, Blackall, Roma, and Moonie districts of Queensland, with a carrying capacity of 300,000 head. of cattle to support the Company’s 3 feedlots.

Additionally, David represents Agricultural & Cattle industry interests in his role as; Non-Government member Australia­ Indonesia Red Meat & Cattle Partnership, member SmartSat CRC, member Cattle Australia -Policy Council, member Australian Meat Industry Council -China & Halal Trade Groups, Chair Workplace Health & Safety Queensland -Rural Industry Sector Standing Committee, Deputy Chair Laguna Bay Pastoral investment committee and Board Member lnventia Genetic Technologies (IGT). 

Away from work David has a small cattle property in the Mt Kilcoy (Qld) district running Charolais & Charbray breeders to the delight of his four grandchildren.

David wishes to continue into a second term to help build a strong and successful Cattle Australia to represent the interest of all cattle producers