latest insights.

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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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, ...
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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 ...
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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, ...
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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 ...
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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. ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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, ...
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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 ...
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