The Young Farmers Advisory Council (the Council) is a ministerial advisory committee and non-statutory body established by the Minister for Agriculture in 2015. Its purpose is to provide independent, expert and strategic advice on issues affecting young people in agriculture to better understand their needs to help develop solutions and shape support for young people on the land. Council members will engage and consult with young representatives from across the agriculture sector to understand a diversity of perspectives and consider relevant research to inform the development of advice. Its members represent a diverse set of skills and experience in agriculture and farm management, rural youth issues and networks, regional and rural development, financial management, farming innovation and international markets. In total, the Council comprises of ten people.
The Hon. Michaela Settle MP, Minister for Agriculture, is now seeking expressions of interest for a Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson and eight members to serve on the Council for a term of 2 years, with an expected commencement date of September 2026.
The role of the Council is to provide independent, expert and strategic advice to the Victorian Minister for Agriculture on issues affecting young people in agriculture to better understand their challenges and to help develop solutions and shape support for young people in the sector.
The Council is required to lead on stakeholder engagement with representatives from across the agriculture sector to inform its advice, and act as young ambassadors to attract new entrants to a career in the agriculture sector.
The Council is expected to meet three to four times (a minimum once per year in-person) and no less than twice yearly. Meetings usually run for a full day.
Members can expect to spend time outside of meetings on Council related activities in addition to attending formal meetings but this can vary depending on items raised and agreed actions to follow up.
Further analysis on the different roles of the Council is below.
The Chairperson
The Chairperson’s role is to provide impartial high-level leadership for the Council and to guide members to deliver strategic, independent and expert advice and support to the Minister and Agriculture Victoria.
The Deputy Chairperson
The Deputy Chairperson will support the Chairperson to provide leadership and direction for the Council. The Deputy Chairperson will assume the roles and responsibilities of the Chairperson, when the Chairperson is absent or there is a vacancy in the position of Chairperson.
Members
The member role is to contribute to the Council’s independent and expert advice and support to the Minister and Agriculture Victoria.
Members of the Council will possess:
Strong governance skills and strategic decision-making experience.
For Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson positions only:
The Victorian Government is committed to ensuring its public entity boards and committees reflect the diversity of Victoria’s community. We encourage applications from all individuals, including women, people of all ages (preferably under 45 years old), First Nations people, people with disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds LGBTIQA+ people and people living in rural and regional Victoria. We will provide adjustments to the recruitment process upon request.
The Victorian Government’s commitment to diverse representation
The Victorian Government is committed to ensuring that government boards and committees reflect the rich diversity of the Victorian community. Diversity of skills and expertise, and the perspectives and lived experiences of people from different backgrounds, contribute to good governance and help ensure that boards are making decisions in the interests of the Victorian community.
Applications are encouraged from people of all ages (preferably under 45 years old), First Nations people, people with disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and from lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, gender diverse, intersex, and queer people.
You do not have to disclose any personal information if you do not want to, but it can help us understand how we can support you through the recruitment process and beyond.
If you identify as any of the above, we welcome the opportunity to contact you and discuss how we can support you through the recruitment process.
Sharing this information will help you access support should you need it and will also help us to better understand the impact of our work.
If you would like help understanding this document or would like to receive it in another format phone Claire Ouna on 0459 873 757, using the National Relay Service 133 677 if required, or email at [email protected].
Applications close midnight on 11:59pm Sunday 14 June 2026.