The Country Women’s Association of Australia holds a National Conference every 3 years to discuss and debate motions, brought by its member associations. The motions that are passed become resolution and give direction for advocacy in the coming triennium. Resolutions passed more than nine years ago lapse at each conference. The resolutions that form the current policies of CWAA are shown below.
The complete list can be downloaded here.
Resolutions are grouped in the following categories:
Agriculture and Environment
Communications
Consumers
Gender Equity
Health
Infrastructure
Social
Transport
Miscellaneous
Agriculture and Environment
Subject |
Resolution |
Year Passed |
Drought |
That the policy of CWA of A shall be to advocate for the federal government to:
|
2018 |
Q Fever |
That the policy of CWA of Australia shall be to advocate that funding be made available to:
|
2018 |
Drought |
That the Country Women’s Association of Australia (CWAA) continues to lobby the Federal Government regarding drought policies. |
2015 |
Banning coal seam gas |
That the Country Women's Association of Australia strongly support the banning of the process of 'fracking' in the Coal Seam Gas Industry, until such time as scientists and/or Geologists can give guaranteed proof That there will be no adverse effect on safety of the water table. |
2012 |
Export bans |
That the Country Women's Association of Australia lobby the Federal Government to strongly recommend they legislate so that no immediate ban of an export product can be made without;
|
2012 |
Fluorescent light bulb labelling |
That the Country Women's Association of Australia request the Federal minister for the Environment to legislate that fluorescent light bulbs and compact fluorescent lights (CLF's) carry the following warning on the packet.
|
2012 |
Import bans |
That the Country Women's Association of Australia lobbies the Federal Government to ban the importation of primary and horticultural products which have the potential to ruin local production e.g. by the introduction of pests and/or diseases. |
2012 |
Overseas investment in land |
That the Country Women's Association of Australia urges the Federal Government to act immediately to halt the selling of our land and assets to overseas investors. |
2012 |
Surveillance of imports |
That the Country Women's Association of Australia lobbies our Federal Government persistently to provide stricter surveillance of all imported goods and containers. |
2012 |
Tariffs and subsidies |
That the Country Women's Association of Australia lobbies the Federal Government to urgently resume World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations for the removal of tariffs and agricultural subsidies which are distorting world food markets. Damaging the environment and hindering the development of sustainable agriculture throughout the world. |
2012 |
Flying foxes |
That the CWA of A request the Minister for the Environment to introduce an amendment to the Nature Conservation Act/ Environment Protection Biodiversity Conservation act that pertains to the Protected status of the flying fox species, to allow for the management of flying fox colonies, which may be fatal to human life and adversely impact on people’s livelihood. |
2009 |
Milk pricing |
That the CWA of A urge the federal Government to liaise with State and territory Governments and dairy companies to reconsider milk rates and revert to a more realistic price. |
2009 |
Water buyback |
That CWA of A protest to the federal Minister for Climate Change and Water regarding the buyback of permanent irrigation water by the Federal Government without consideration of how this water acquisition is affecting local communities both financially and socially, and water equals food consumption. |
2009 |
Communications
Subject |
Resolution |
Year Passed |
Australia Post Service Obligations |
That the Country Women’s Association of Australia (CWAA) urges the Federal Government to maintain and enforce the Community Service Obligations required of Australia Post. |
2015 |
Postcodes in Phone Books |
That the Country Women’s Association of Australia (CWAA) requests Telstra and the Federal Government to print all Australian postcodes in every telephone book. |
2015 |
Telephone Book Help Numbers |
That the Country Women’s Association of Australia (CWAA) requests Telstra and the Federal Government to put the relevant numbers for complaints, help-line etc for local and interstate calls at the front of every telephone book. |
2015 |
Call costs |
That Country Women's Association of Australia strongly urges the Australian Federal Government to make it possible to be able to access, when using a mobile phone, Government and other important services, such as Centrelink, Nurse on Call, Ombudsman etc using 1800, 13 or 1300 numbers as a free call or capped at local call cost. |
2012 |
Consumers
Subject |
Resolution |
Year Passed |
Rural Banking Services |
That the Country Women’s Association of Australia expresses serious concern at the inadequate banking services available to residents in rural and remote areas and requests that banks work to improve access to over the counter service and a choice of well-maintained ATMs in rural and remote areas. |
2018 |
Food labelleing |
That the Country Women's Association of Australia again requests the Federal Government to legislate to have more transparent information and larger labels. On food packaging. |
2012 |
Food labelleing |
That the CWA of A urge the Federal Government to legislate to have clearer and larger printing on label and food packaging. |
2009 |
Gender Equity
Subject |
Resolution |
Year Passed |
Equal Pay |
That the Country Women’s Association of Australia (CWAA) urges all Governments in Australia to review pay levels for pay parity for same jobs. |
2015 |
Women in Poverty |
That the Country Women’s Association of Australia (CWAA) urges the Federal Government to implement policy to enable women who have not had adequate superannuation contributions during their working life to live poverty free. |
2015 |
Health
Subject |
Resolution |
Year Passed |
‘Ice’ |
That the Country Women’s Association of Australia (CWAA) urges Federal, State and Territory Governments to adequately resource support services to address the drug Crystalline Methamphetamine (ice). |
2015 |
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder |
That the Country Women’s Association of Australia (CWAA) urges Federal, State and Territory Governments to recognise Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) as a disability. |
2015 |
Lyme Disease |
That the Country Women’s Association of Australia (CWAA) urges Federal, State and Territory Governments to continue investigation into the existence of Lyme Disease in Australia, ways of contracting it and diagnostic tests. |
2015 |
Mental Health |
That the Country Women’s Association of Australia (CWAA) urges Federal, State and Territory Governments to adequately resource support services to address Mental Health. |
2015 |
Donor laws |
That the Country Women's Association of Australia requests the Federal Minister for Health, and the Attorney General to change, as a matter of urgency, the current legislation regarding Australian Donor Laws to ensure that an individual's decision to be an organ donor cannot be overturned. |
2012 |
Health |
That the Country Women's Association of Australia strongly urges the Federal Government to bring to all departments of Primary Health Care, including funding and practical care, under one authority. |
2012 |
Mental Health |
That the Country Women's Association of Australia requests the Federal Minister for Health and Ageing to accept the reality of the statistics that are available on depression and suicide, and as a result of this:
|
2012 |
Mixed gender rooms in public hospitals |
That the Country Women's Association of Australia's policy is That the current practice of mixed sex rooms in all public hospitals in Australia be avoided where possible and That the decision of this conference be conveyed to the Federal Minister for Health. |
2012 |
Obstetrics Locums |
Specialist Obstetrician Local Scheme can find a locum for single practice doctors to have a holiday. That we send an urgent communiqué to the Minister of Health to continue this scheme. |
2009 |
Medicinal Cannabis |
That the CWA of A requests the Federal Government to consider the legalisation of cannabis for medical purposes, for the relief of pain in the terminally and chronically ill. |
2006 |
Breakfast in schools |
That the Country Women's Association of Australia take up the matter of Breakfast Club funding with the Federal Government and to encourage their members to urge their State/Territory Government to fund ‘Breakfast in schools’ programs in their States and Territories for the benefit of all Australian school children |
2012 |
Infrastructure
Subject |
Resolution |
Year Passed |
Snowy Hydro Limited |
That the policy of CWA of Australia shall be That the Snowy Hydro Limited never be privatised. |
2018 |
Federal Assistance Grants |
That the CWA of A make application to the Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and local government that funding for federal assistance grants to Local Government be increased to 2% of Commonwealth Taxation Revenue (excluding GST). |
2009 |
Social
Subject |
Resolution |
Year Passed |
Accommodation for Homeless and Low Income |
That the Country Women’s Association of Australia urges the State and Territory Governments and the Federal Government to implement a variety of measures to enable homeless and low income elderly Australians to access suitable accommodation and services. |
2018 |
Elder Abuse |
That the Country Women’s Association of Australia recognises that State and Territory Governments and the Federal Government have initiated programs to address the issue of elder abuse in Australia; and urges them to expedite the implementation of a variety of measures to reduce elder abuse, including the provision of ongoing support to specialist elder abuse services and funding for raising public awareness of the forms and prevalence of elder abuse. |
2018 |
Rental Assistance |
That the Country Women’s Association of Australia calls on State and Territory Governments and the Federal Government to immediately substantially increase rental assistance to vulnerable single females, fifty-five years and older, in receipt of government income support payments, to enable them to live in safety and dignity as the growing disparity between the current increased commercial rentals and inadequate rental assistance are contributing factors to the increasing crisis of homelessness amongst older single women. |
2018 |
Alcohol Advertising |
That the Country Women’s Association of Australia CWAA urges Federal, State and Territory Governments to ban alcohol advertising at sporting events. |
2015 |
Domestic Violence |
That the Country Women’s Association of Australia (CWAA) urges Federal, State and Territory Governments to adequately resource support services to address Domestic Violence. |
2015 |
Energy Drinks |
That the Country Women’s Association of Australia (CWAA) urges Federal, State and Territory Governments to ban the sale of energy drinks to children under the age of 18 years and to require proof of age for purchase. |
2015 |
Gambling Advertising |
That the Country Women’s Association of Australia (CWAA) urges Federal, State and Territory Governments to ban gambling advertising. |
2015 |
Women and Children in Mandatory Detention |
That the Country Women’s Association of Australia (CWAA) urges the Federal Government to implement policy to enable the removal of women and all children from mandatory detention. |
2015 |
Alcohol Advertising |
The Country Women's Association of Australia urges the Federal Government to take action to reduce the advertisement of alcohol in the media. |
2012 |
Transport
Subject |
Resolution |
Year Passed |
Mandatory Driver Tutorials |
That the Country Women’s Association of Australia (CWAA) lobbies Federal, State and Territory Governments for mandatory tutorials for all international drivers arriving in Australia, either in the form of a computer or personal tutorial. |
2015 |
Uniform drivers' licence requirements |
That the Country Women's Association of Australia's policy shall be that “rules and requirements for all categories of drivers' licences be uniform across Australia” and That the decision of this Conference be conveyed to the Federal Minister for Transport. |
2012 |
Road congestion |
The CWA of A urges thee Federal Minister for Transport to liaise with the National Entities involved with road transport with a view to the reduction of the congestion on our roads and to improve safety issues in our communities. |
2009 |
Road funding |
That the CWA of A make application and delegation to the Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government that funding for ‘Roads to Recovery’ be indexed relative to the Australian Bureau of Statistics Road Construction and Maintenance Index. |
2009 |
Road funding |
That the CWA of A make application and delegation to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and local Government to allocate a significant proportion of the Building Australia Fund to the ‘first mile’ of the rural local road network. |
2009 |
Miscellaneous
Subject |
Resolution |
Year Passed |
Overseas aid |
The Country Women's Association of Australia requests closer monitoring and public reporting by the Government of the use of financial help and 'in-kind' donations and distributes information annually or in time of disasters, through each agency eg. Ausaid |
2012 |
Formation of a National Guard |
That the CWA of A supports the National Serviceman’s Association in Australia in lobbying the State, Territory and Federal Governments in their endeavours to form an Australian Guard. |
2009 |