The Australian Agricultural Council (AAC) was formed as a result of a conference in December 1934 to provide a basis for continuous consultation between the Commonwealth and the State Governments on economic aspects of primary production and marketing of primary products (1). Previously consultation and co-ordination had been mainly on an 'ad hoc' basis. The conference was chaired by Dr Earle Page as Commonwealth Minister for Commerce, and he subsequently also became the Council’s first Chairman.

Under the Australian Constitution export arrangements became a Commonwealth responsibility but agricultural production remained the responsibility of the States.  Agricultural matters of common concern were handled either by correspondence or by ad hoc conferences of Ministers.  It was apparent, however, that there was need for regular consultation.

To cope with the need for co-ordination of agricultural research, a Commonwealth/State Standing Committee was formed in the late 1920's to provide a measure of co-ordination between State agricultural research activities and those of the Commonwealth Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.

The question of co-ordination in agricultural matters was the subject of a Commonwealth/State Conference in December 1934 attended by Ministers in charge of Commonwealth Departments associated with agricultural and primary industries and State Premiers and Ministers for Agriculture and Lands.

 

The resolution of the conference was that it was desirable to form a Ministerial organisation to provide the basis for continuous consultation among Australian Governments on economic aspects of primary production; that the organisation should be known as the Australian Agricultural Council and that it consist of the Federal Minister for Commerce and the State Ministers concerned with agriculture and that it have power to co-opt the services of other State and Commonwealth Ministers as the necessity might arise.

The Conference agreed that the term "primary production" meant agriculture in the widest sense but did not include mining, fisheries or forestry. Consequently for purposes of the constitution of the Council, the terms "agriculture" and "agricultural industries" have this meaning.

Although during the Second World War the scope of the activities of the Council was broadened to handle defence food production, the functions of the Council have remained basically the same throughout its life and these are to:

. generally promote the welfare and development of agricultural

  industries;

. arrange mutual exchange of information regarding agricultural

  production and marketing;

. co-operate for the purpose of ensuring the improvement of the

  quality of agricultural products and the maintenance of high

  standards;

. ensure, as far as possible, balance between production and

  available markets;

. consider the requirements of agricultural industries in regard

  to organised marketing;

. promote the adoption of a uniform policy on external marketing

  problems, particularly those pertaining to the negotiation on

  intra-Commonwealth (of nations) and international agreements;

. consult in regard to proposals for the grant of financial

  assistance to agricultural industries; and

 

. consider matters submitted to the Council by the Standing

  Committee on Agriculture.(2).

In order that the Agricultural Council might adequately perform its functions, it was agreed at the conference in December 1934 that there should be a permanent technical advisory Committee to be known as the Standing Committee on Agriculture (CA 696). The Committee was initially made up of the permanent heads of the State Departments of Agriculture, members of the Executive Committees of the Commonwealth Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, the Commonwealth Director-General of Health, and the Secretary of the Commonwealth Department of Commerce (3).

The Council normally had eight members; the Commonwealth Minister for Primary Industry (Chairman) and the ministers from each of the States and the Northern Territory whose portfolios include agriculture. Meetings of the Council, held about twice a year, are conducted in camera and the proceedings are not made public. 

In 1973, Council agreed that Papua New Guinea and New Zealand should be able to attend occasional future meetings by invitation.

By 1991, the Council consisted of the ten relevant Ministers from the Commonwealth of Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory, as well as New Zealand.  The Secretary in March 1991 was J.W. Graham, an officer of the Department of Primary Industries and Energy.

In August 1992 the Ministers agreed to the proposition to amalgamate the AAC with the then Australian Soil Conservation Council and the Australian Water Resources Council.  The new Agricultural Council of Australia and New Zealand was created in October 1992. A further change occurred on 29 July 1993 when the first meeting was held of the Agriculture and Resource Management Council of Australia and New Zealand (ARMCANZ) at Alice Springs, NT. The Council remained a non-statutory body with the Secretariat provided by the Rural Division of the Department.

References:

 

1. Conference of Commonwealth and State Ministers on Agricultural and Marketing Matters   (Commonwealth Parliamentary Papers, No 69 of 1934)

2. Commonwealth Government Directory, 1979, p. 220

 

3. Official Year Book of the Commonwealth of Australia, No. 28,

   1935, p.699.

 

Other Sources:

Federal Guide, 1936, 1943, 1944, 1950, 1951.

Commonwealth Directory, 1972

Australian Government Directory, 1973, 1974, 1975

Commonwealth Government Directory, 1980, p. 238, 1991, p.274

Commonwealth Government Directories 1992-1996

Department of Primary Industries and Energy; Annual Reports, 1992-93, 1993-94.

Historical agency address

by1936-1943: Commonwealth Offices, East Block, Canberra

    1944-1950: Reliance House, 301 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

    1951-1972: Commonwealth Offices, Barton, ACT

    1973-1974: Blackall and Macquarie Street, Barton, ACT

    1975-        : Edmund Barton Building, Broughton Street, Barton,

                       ACT (known as the Trade Group Offices to 1977)