Flood recovery has been front of mind for many farmers at present and you could be forgiven if you have forgotten all about the dairy levy poll because honestly, we had too.
If you are yet to submit your vote, be sure to do so today. Voting in the dairy levy poll is due to close Thursday, March 31.
Everyone who pays the levy is eligible to vote.
Voting is easy to do online at dairypoll.com.au you will just need your member number which can be found on the ballot paper in the information pack mailed out by Dairy Australia last month.
If you do not wish to vote online you can use the ballot paper and submit it by email or fax.
It is likely too late to send it in by post.
There are four levy options to vote on, being no change to the levy, an increase of 15 per cent, an increase of 20pc (which is recommended by the advisory committee), or an increase of 25pc.
The dairy levy poll is using 'preferential voting' where you number the options one to four in order of your preference.
Once the votes are counted, if one of the options has an absolute majority, over 50pc of the votes, then that would be the winning option.
If no option has an absolute majority, then the option with the least votes is eliminated from the count with the votes for the eliminated option being redistributed among the remaining options according to the second preference.
If the eliminated ballot did not mark a second preference, then the ballot is deemed 'exhausted' and excluded from further counts.
This process continues until one of the options achieves an absolute majority.
This is the first time in 10 years that we have had the opportunity to vote on the amount that levy payers will need to contribute into the future.
The outcome of the vote will affect all levy payers so it is important as many levy payers as possible have their say and submit a vote.
