The Pastoralists and Graziers Association (PGA) of Western Australia has suspended all operations after exposing internal financial misconduct.
Last Thursday evening the group placed itself into voluntary suspension to address the issues within the organisation.
The National Indigenous Times reported that PGA members received an email on Friday explaining that membership payments were on pause and an investigation was underway, with several staff already stood down.
"The PGA executive and committee members have recently become aware of serious financial misconduct within its organisation," said the email.
"The PGA has taken immediate steps to address the issues. As an organisation of long-standing and credible reputation in the WA regional and rural community, the PGA is committed to focusing all its efforts in righting these issues.”
A "financial deficit" was acknowledged by the organisation but they would not disclose the exact figure as they are “working hard to scope and rectify it.”
The PGA has operated for 118 years as a non-profit industry organisation in Western Australia, representing primary producers of wool, grain and meat & livestock.
President Tony Seabrook spoke with the ABC’s the WA Country Hour, describing the incident as “a hiccup” but was cautious of underplaying the “very serious” internal investigation underway.
"We've got a lot of records to go back through and we are in the process of going back through those records,” said Seabrook.
"It goes back a very, very long time."
Seabrook said that despite the issues the organisation hopes to make a full recovery.
“The PGA will survive this…I'm telling you right now, [the organisation] is far, far from dead.”