Incubating interest in agriculture from early childhood right through school and university is important to lead and grow the industry.At the Farm Writers’ Association of NSW lunch in Sydney last week, speakers covered the topic: Incubating talent for Agriculture - K1 to Tertiary.We have probably all heard by now that by 2050 there will be 70 per cent or 2.4 billion more people on earth, ...
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There’s more to rural and regional Australia than meets the eye – including good coffee
As a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation program, my 32 fellow graduates and I wrote a vision for rural and regional Australia which focused on being able to get a good coffee – latte, cappuccino or soy macchiato, whichever you prefer – in the bush.Even in towns with fewer than 1000 people inhabiting them, the coffee machines are working overtime.Interestingly, 15 years ...
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NSW Budget allocates $1.3 billion for regional areas
Regional roads, water, schools and hospitals were the main winners in the NSW 2017-18 state budget handed down yesterday.And $12 million in tax cuts for the farming sector also means the budget was a winner for agriculture too.A record $1.3 billion of funding in a Regional Growth Fund has been allocated to regional areas.NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said in his budget speech the ...
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Trust and loyalty go a long way in agribusiness
Loyalty, trust, relevant and competitive are the foundations upon which Bega Cheese executive chairman Barry Irvin does business.At a Farm Writers' Association of NSW lunch in Sydney last week, Mr Irvin spoke about his, at times, different approach to business, including the fact “loyalty and trust were the foundations of Bega Cheese and what allowed us to go forward”.From a single factory ...
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Infrastructure key to making decentralisation work for regional Australia
Seftons’ managing director Robbie Sefton has shared her thoughts on decentralisation, believing investment in infrastructure and “big picture” thinking are vital to the economic prosperity of rural and regional Australia.Robbie spoke to presenter Paul Turton on ABC New England North West about the issue, which has attracted headlines recently after Coalition partners The Nationals announced a ...
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Rail is the big winner in Budget 2017
Farmers and regional Australia have been labelled as winners in the 2017-18 Federal Budget.Major funding for the Inland Rail and ongoing funding to the National Landcare Program are just some of the highlights for the agriculture sector.However, despite calls by the National Farmers Federation to allocate funding to fix mobile black spots and the Data Drought, no new money has been put ...
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Australian of the Year more important than ever
We can safely say – in my opinion – that we’re in a time of great political uncertainty as 2017 gets underway. The heat’s on – not just physically (with Sydney and other parts of NSW on course to recording the hottest January ever) – but politically and culturally. Public unrest and division over the election of Trump in the USA and Britain’s decision to leave the European Union are all ...
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The future of ag is in good hands (and minds)
There was a palpable sense of expectation in the room as delegates, partners and speakers assembled for the first day of GrowAg 2016 last week in Albury, NSW. They came from Sisters Creek, Tasmania; Mareeba, Far North Queensland; Woorow, Western Australia; and everywhere in between. They came representing family farms and research corporations - industry bodies and corporate enterprises. But ...
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Regional Australia – more than doing doughnuts in the driveway
It was exhilarating to find the spotlight on rural and regional Australia last night, as ABC Television's Q&A took over the Tamworth Memorial Town Hall for a 'get real' conversation between politicians and locals about life outside Australia's big five cities.Many critical regional issues were raised – including the need for better health services, proper access to the NBN, and serious ...
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You can’t dampen the Australian spirit
As I sat in the pouring rain on the Parliament House forecourt on Monday night, I couldn’t help but feel proud, inspired, and humbled all at the same time.I’ve been involved with the National Australia Day Council as a board member since 2010, and the NSW Australia Day Council before that. Last year I was appointed Deputy Chair of the Council.This means I have the privilege of being ...
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A diverse Australia Day
In the lead up to Australia Day, many Australians are gathering to celebrate this event, including with local awards. You may have seen media reports of the NSW 2016 Australia Day Address, delivered by Deng Thiak Adut in Sydney on Thursday.Deng’s story is extraordinary and inspiring. A child soilder in Sudan, he was rescued by the United Nations and resettled in Australia. He is now a refugee ...
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Feeling the heat
It’s a warm start to the week in Tamworth – with temperatures predicted to reach 35°C today and a high of near 40°C last week. By any accounts that’s hot – far hotter than the averages for this time of year.Most of us in regional Australia feel the heat in a very real way – it affects our crops, our livestock, our production and our daily lives. We know personally the impacts of a month like ...
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What does it mean to be an influencer?
Today, the Australian Financial Review and Westpac have announced the winners of the 100 Women of Influence awards – women who have shown vision, leadership, innovation and action in and beyond their field.I’m honoured – and truth told, pretty excited – to be one of the winners, based on my work over the past decades in regional Australia.I’m just back in the office from speaking to our ...
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Calling on future leaders for agriculture – have a REAL say!
A lot of future visioning has taken place in the national agriculture space in the past two years – notably the Blueprint for Australian Agriculture (the industry’s vision for its own future), and the Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper (the Australian Government’s pathway to setting policies that will boost agriculture’s productivity and profitability in the future).It’s great to see – ...
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Walking on air
It’s an exciting start to the month here in Tamworth – with the announcement that not one, but two airlines are joining Qantas in servicing the Tamworth district. Virgin Australia will fly between Tamworth and Sydney six times a week from 25 May, and regional carrier Jetgo has picked up the Tamworth to Brisbane route.This development has suddenly changed the entire landscape – and the way ...
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Bringing the Power to the People
Any of us country dwellers know the feeling – we are usually the ones who need to travel to inspect new technology and meet the people and organisations who help our agribusinesses run. We’re used to leaving our loved ones, driving many kilometres, flying, staying over in the city, and trekking back home again at the end of it.This week, in an Australian first, machinery giant Case IH is ...
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Tamworth boot scoots its way through January
Happy new year from me and the Seftons team from Tamworth – the city that comes into its own every January when it hosts the Country Music Festival. It’s the largest music fest in the Southern Hemisphere and makes us proud to share our rural home with tens of thousands of visitors. It’s a toe-tapping, whip-cracking week when people from all walks of life converge on Tamworth to celebrate ‘country’ ...
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Looking ahead with the Agricultural Competitiveness Green Paper
Those of you who were at the National Farmer’s Federation National Congress this week – and anyone who’s been keeping an eye on the media – will know that the government released the Agricultural Competitiveness Green Paper at the Congress on Monday.It’s heartening to see the Green Paper building on many of the key priorities identified for agriculture in the Blueprint for Australian ...
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