By Robbie Sefton. For 10 years I was on the National Australia Day Council, helping oversee the selection process for our Australians of the Year, an enormous honour and privilege. Today, as my own Australia Day honour sinks in, I’m inevitably more aware than I’ve ever been of the significance of today, particularly given the debate around the date of our national day. I have
always been an ...
Continue reading
latest insights.
Buybacks may be easy option for Basin water recovery, but economic and social pain may prove too costly for communities.
By Robbie Sefton, 24 November 2023. The Murray-Darling Basin is one of the most agriculturally, environmentally and culturally significant systems in Australia, but unfortunately, it’s also one of the most fraught when it comes to its management and the competing interests that underpin policy priorities and decisions. I grew up on an irrigation farm in Deniliquin and now own a dryland farm ...
Continue reading
Modernising the Universal Service Obligation: what should this new agreement look like and should the landline be scrapped?
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland recently announced a plan to "modernise the Universal Services Obligation in a manner that benefits regional and remote consumers and their long-term interests". She’s announced the start of a consultation process to investigate whether there are better ways to ensure all Australians are connected. Robbie was a member of the Regional Telecommunications ...
Continue reading
Australian farmers have had their say, now it’s up to us to listen
By Robbie Sefton. "Agriculture is not only food production, but also an important pillar of rural economic and social development. The development of the agricultural industry chain will drive rural employment opportunities and economic growth, and promote the sustainable development of rural areas." This is just one example of hundreds of comments that emerged from the first National Farmer ...
Continue reading
Lamb producers feel pain of falling prices, but little impact on retail price prompts tough questions
By Robbie Sefton. What a difference a few years make. This time two years ago, Australian sheep and lamb producers were enjoying record high prices at the saleyards, but since the start of 2023, prices have dropped alarmingly, falling by between 60 and 80 per cent and leaving many producers considering their options, particularly as drier conditions start to bite in many regions. The only ...
Continue reading
National Farmer Priorities Survey Released
3 September 2023 1,600 farmers from across Australia have had their say in the first National Farmer Priorities Survey.Industry sentiment is deteriorating with 1 in 3 farmers less positive about the future of farming than they were 12 months ago.Farmers are worried about a wide range of policy pressures, with market fairness, environment laws and infrastructure funding topping the list.A ...
Continue reading
Industry making strides towards net-zero commitment but outreach and support critical for farmers embarking on the journey
By Robbie Sefton. Late last year it was widely reported that almost half of Australia’s ASX200-listed companies had made a net-zero commitment. And, increasingly, more industries are committing to this target, and at the grass-roots level, individual businesses – and even households – are striving to bring down emissions. ‘Net zero’ is a term that has come a long way in less than a
decade, ...
Continue reading
Farmers’ voice to be heard with launch of national survey
Farmers
across Australia are urged to have their say on the issues that matter to them
and the agricultural sector via the National Farmer Priorities Survey, launched
today. Spearheaded by the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) in
partnership with communications and advisory firm Seftons, the survey will be a
pulse-check on the opportunities and challenges facing farmers and the ...
Continue reading
The future of agriculture is now and our young people want a seat at the table
By Robbie Sefton. There are no shortage of reports finding their way into the public sphere in any given week. They often serve as a mirror held up to the face of society to show how things are, where potential problems lie, and hopefully consider a way toward a better future. Inevitably they can make for some pretty grim reading at times. Not so for one report brought to my attention, ...
Continue reading
No time to lose in race to address current ‘public health crisis’ for Australia’s youth
By Robbie Sefton. When Professor Patrick McGorry - the internationally-renowned
psychiatrist who has advocated tirelessly on youth mental health and was
Australian of the Year in 2010 for his work in this area – warns we are not
doing enough for young Australians with mental health issues, we need to
listen. Professor McGorry has co-authored a paper on the current
situation, and what we need ...
Continue reading
Cost of robust biosecurity measures must be shared equitably
By Robbie Sefton. Biosecurity has again been in the news of late with ongoing concerns around varroa mite in NSW bee populations, and Northern Rivers prawn fishers faced with a disease thought to have arrived in Australia via imported prawns. It only highlights our nation’s vulnerability to pests and diseases from overseas and the devastating impacts on our local industries and producers. ...
Continue reading
Traditional values of fairness and authenticity must endure in the face of uncertainty and opposition
There’s a question I’ve been grappling with recently,
and that’s around a quality I think all Australians feel is at the heart of our
national identity. That is the idea of the ‘fair go’ and whether we as a
community are living up to this concept that all of us should be treated equally?
From the conversations I’m having, and those that are dominating our headlines,
it feels to me that as a ...
Continue reading
New job vacancies report a fresh reminder of need for increased focus on regional growth
By Robbie Sefton. There are not enough medical professionals in regional
areas. This will come as no surprise to anyone who lives in the regions – it’s
been the case for some time and often makes navigating the health system that
much harder and more frustrating. But, we now no just how dire the situation is
and what may come as a bit of a surprise is the extent of these shortages. Thanks ...
Continue reading
National Volunteers Week, May 15 to 21: how can you help make a change for the better?
Baking a cake for the school fete, becoming a member of the local CWA or RFS branch, cooking the barbecue at the annual campdraft or manning the counter at the nearest op shop - volunteering comes in a myriad of forms and means many things to many people. But the one indisputable fact is that our communities could not exist without volunteers, and even if they could, they'd be very different ...
Continue reading
New research findings should drive informed, effective recruitment campaigns beyond our city limits.
By Robbie Sefton. Rural
industries are crying out for workers – this is not a revelation by any means,
it’s been an issue for a long time. But what has recently come to light is interesting
new research that has shone a light on at least some of the reasons why this
may be, and it provides something of a road map for the agriculture, fisheries
and forestry industries to help attract and, ...
Continue reading
No easy fix to healthcare concerns but long-term solutions may be closer to home than we think
By Robbie Sefton. With the next State Election just around the corner, our
thoughts are on the issues that impact each of us the most. And geography
certainly plays a part in this. The priorities of rural and regional NSW
communities will always be a bit different to those in metropolitan areas, and
the further away you are from a major city, the more acute those issues become. Health is ...
Continue reading
Night out at the movies could be thing of the past without timely investment and support.
By Robbie Sefton. I have fond memories of the movie theatre in Deniliquin, the
rural town where I grew up. It was a place for nights out with my family, or
for a catch-up with friends, where maybe the odd Jaffa was even rolled down the
then-timber aisles. It really was a social hub for the whole community, and a
bit of an occasion even; something you looked forward to all week and while ...
Continue reading
Robbie Sefton named as a member in the General Division of the Order Australia (AM)
Robbie Sefton received 2023 Australia Day honours as a Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia for her significant service to agribusiness and to the community in a range of roles. Robbie honoured for service to ag, community | Shepparton News (sheppnews.com.au) Australia Day honours for Robbie Sefton | The Land | NSW Ag identities recognised in 2023 Australia Day ...
Continue reading
Agriculture is a land of opportunities, but is a long game super funds are currently reluctant to play.
By Robbie Sefton. Agriculture in Australia has certainly been kicking goals in
recent years and it’s no secret the opportunities for investment in this
growing sector have proved attractive for foreign investors, including overseas
retirement funds. But, it seems, not so much for domestic funds. It appears the
reasons for this are many and varied – and potentially quite complex – but
ultimately ...
Continue reading
Robbie honoured for service to ag, community
Published in the Shepparton News. By Jacquie Marshall Jan 31, 2023 Robbie honoured for service to ag, community | Shepparton News (sheppnews.com.au) It seems only fitting that the same day Robbie Sefton was ambassador at Edward River Council’s Australia Day ceremony on Thursday she was also inducted to the Order of Australia. Known as the AM, the Order of Australia is awarded to ...
Continue reading