IN a move to increase engagement and attract a younger demographic to its membership base, WAFarmers is considering changes to its constitution that will allow electronic attendance, voting and voting by proxy at its meetings.
A special general meeting will be held on Monday, October 12, for members to vote on the constitutional amendments which aim to help bring WAFarmers into the modern era and fit in with the organisation's planned structural changes.
"It requires a constitutional amendment around the definition of an electronic meeting and this is to allow the organisation to meet by electronic means - that could be video link, Zoom, telephone - whatever platform is available and fits the definition," said WAFarmers president Rhys Turton.
"We are looking to appeal to the generations of growers that are used to using electronic platforms - particularly the younger and middle-age demographic of farmers that are running their properties and are often very time poor.
"It will stop members from having to drive halfway around the State to attend a meeting in person and still allows them their democratic right to vote without having to attend things in person."
First suggested last year, Mr Turton said the WAFarmers board was asked by a few zone members to consider electronic meetings as a way of allowing democratic processes to occur within the organisation.
"It was a pre-COVID issue, but I think COVID-19 has probably highlighted their effectiveness and prompted us to try and push this through," Mr Turton said.
He said the changes would help create an "ease of engagement" with WAFarmers members and that he anticipated no issues in the amendments being passed.
"The option of using electronic mediums also aligns with other agricultural organisations that are now doing electronic voting for various issues," Mr Turton said.
"This is just another aspect which will help bring WAFarmers into the 21st century."