A new policy document has been released by the VFF but is missing any detail on water policies.
The 65-page document, called the General Policy Platform, was published several weeks ago and promoted on Facebook.
It contains details for policies on animal activism, animal welfare, virtual herding, biosecurity, food donations, drought, local government rates, transport, tax and a range of other issues.
“The VFF’s general policy statement provides a record of the policy positions adopted and agreed to by Victorian farmers and is the culmination of a rigorous policy-setting process undertaken by the VFF Policy Council, its Issues Advisory Committees and the VFF Commodity Policy Councils,” according to the published statement with the document.
There is one page under the ‘water’ chapter, which refers only to water policies relating to First Nations people.
There are no policies listed on the Murray-Darling Basin, issues relating to irrigators or buy-backs.
Some of these policies are referenced in other places on the VFF website.
Asked about the document, VFF president Emma Germano said the VFF policy platform was continuously evolving.
“We are working to review the large body of policy positions which have been agreed to by our members over many years and publish them, so everyone is clear on what the VFF stands for,” she said.
“We have a large body of positions on water issues, including the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, that have been well publicised as part of our advocacy to government.
“We are working through these various positions to bring them together in a comprehensive water policy statement and expect to publish this soon.
“As policies are formally ratified by the VFF Policy Council, they are progressively published on the VFF website. The platform document will be published annually.”