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1069 Northern Territory Cattlemen's Association Incorporated

Description

The Association's objectives include promoting the development of cattle and land resources, collecting and disseminating information of relevance to cattle producers, maintaining public relations and co-operating with related unions and associations, and securing legal advice and assistance for members.

The NTCA was established in 1984 in response to a series of events affecting the Northern Territory throughout the 1970s such as the passing of Aboriginal land rights legislation in 1976, and Northern Territory Self-Government granted in 1978. The establishment of the Cattle Council of Australia and the National Farmers' Federation in 1979 also inspired the predecessor organisations of the NTCA to reorganise. This process continued in 1983 following the election of a Federal Labor Government, when it was feared by pastoralists that rural Australia and its problems would become of marginal interest.

In 1983 the Northern Territory Pastoral Lessees Association, Centralian Cattlemen's Association, and the Cattlemen's Union, NT Branch, formed the Industry Organisation Steering Committee (IOSC) to discuss the formation of a single body industry organisation to represent the Northern Territory cattle industry. The Committee's report, including a draft constitution for the Northern Territory Cattlemen's Association, was presented to the organisations at the December 1983 meeting of the Northern Territory Cattle Council.

The draft constitution of the Northern Territory Cattlemen's Association was endorsed by the executive members of the Centralian Cattlemen's Association, Northern Territory Pastoral Lessees Association and the Cattlemen's Union, NT Branch, in Darwin during April 1984.

The inaugural General Meeting of the NTCA was held in Tennant Creek on 11 July 1984. This first meeting was chaired by the Hon. Ian Tuxworth MLA, Minister for Primary Production in the Northern Territory Government, until the President was elected by members. Mr Grant Heaslip was elected the first President of the NTCA (and also elected Cattle Council of Australia representative), and Mr Cliff Emerson was appointed as the first Executive Director. The Association was incorporated in February 1986 under the Associations Incorporation Act.

The Katherine Branch of the Northern Territory Pastoral Lessees' Association (NTPLA), NTPLA Secretariat in Darwin, Centralian Cattlemen's Association, and the Cattlemen's Union, NT Branch, became the NTCA Katherine Branch, Secretariat, Tennant Creek Branch and Alice Springs Branch respectively.

The organisational structure of the NTCA includes the positions of; President, Executive Director, and Director. The role of the President is to provide leadership to the Executive Committee, ensuring its effectiveness, managing its agenda and providing clear and timely information to stakeholders. The Executive Director is appointed by the Executive Committee and reports to the Committee on the operations of the Association, focuses on the long term and on the financial strategy and cycle, briefs the Committee on strategic and major operational matters, conducts the correspondence of the NTCA, attends meetings and takes minutes of proceedings. The role of the Director is to provide oversight, and make strategic policy decisions affecting the NTCA, but not to be directly involved with the actual conduct of the business itself. The Executive Committee meets a minimum of three times a year.

The Executive Committee has all necessary powers to carry out the affairs of the Association. The Executive Committee comprises the President, Branch representatives, and delegates to the Cattle Council of Australia and the National Farmers' Federation of Australia. Members hold office from the conclusion of one Annual General Meeting to the conclusion of the next. Presidents may hold office up to three consecutive full terms. At meetings, the President has a casting as well as a deliberative vote.

A Branch may be formed subject to the consent of the members by Ordinary Resolution at a General Meeting, providing that it has no less than fifteen Full Members. Branches have the power to deal with all local matters affecting their members providing their action is in conformity with the Constitution and in unison with the policy of the Association.

One of the major developments NTCA participated in was the Brucellosis and Tuberculosis Eradication Campaign (BTEC). BTEC entailed some drastic and fundamental changes to cattle production in the Northern Territory, including destocking. As a result of BTEC, the NTCA established the Northern Territory Cattlemen's Trading Pty Ltd in 1987 to manage the Bohning Trucking Yards.

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