Table in Naracoorte on 16 September was a good start to enhancing communication and collaboration between government, industry and communities. See our media release here. A follow up meeting last week between industry and government further developed some areas where increased government support is needed. We know for some producers seasonal conditions are the worst on record and are testing current drought policy, as CEO Travis Tobin discussed in this week’s Stock Journal column here.
Mental health support is equally important during these times. Services such as TIACS and Rural Business Support offer assistance, and I encourage anyone feeling the strain to reach out to access these services. The Regional Investment Corporation (RIC) offers low-interest loans to farm businesses which may be useful. Livestock SA has collated these services and others on a webpage for easy access here: Support Resources.
Nominations for the Livestock SA Board are now open. This is an exciting opportunity for members to actively shape the future of our organisation and the broader livestock industry in South Australia. Joining the board allows you to represent the interests of your fellow producers, contribute to key decision-making, and advocate for the issues that matter most to our members. We encourage anyone with a passion for the industry and a commitment to driving positive change to consider nominating. Click here to nominate.
We continue to get great member engagement through our Regional Round Ups. The Murray Bridge event, the first in this region, had an excellent turnout and series of presentations, including one from Alex McGorman of Thornby. We encourage members to attend the upcoming Round Ups in Clare on 17 October and Port Augusta on 5 December. Well respected livestock market analyst, Matt Dalgleish from Episode 3 will be speaking at the Clare event. Register here.
For the third year, Livestock SA will host the Future Livestock Leaders program, and we are now inviting young and enthusiastic individuals with an interest in the livestock industry to apply. This initiative aims to introduce participants to different career prospects within the livestock sector and to nurture a skilled workforce. Click here to apply.
At The Advertiser's Bush Summit in McLaren Vale, key stakeholders, including producers and policymakers, discussed vital issues such as drought, infrastructure, and rural health services. While there were some encouraging commitments from the government, it’s clear that much more must be done to tackle the immediate and long-term challenges facing our sector.
The National Ag Rally in Canberra on 10 September was a great success, with over 2,000 producers coming together to call for more government attention on key agricultural issues. As a united voice, the rally highlighted the urgency of addressing the challenges faced by producers across Australia. Livestock SA will continue to push for government policies based on science and evidence that enable our industry.
There were two submissions in September. One to the Victorian Government’s 12-month review into wild dog management in that state, which we were concerned would see a rollback of critical control measures (here). We welcomed the recent announcement that the Victorian Government will continue the dingo unprotection order in northeast and eastern Victoria past 1 October 2024 but remain concerned that the March decision to protect dingoes in the northwest of the state remains in place.
In a submission to the Department for Environment and Water (here) on the draft Commercial Kangaroo Management Plan, we highlighted the importance of maintaining sustainable kangaroo populations to ensure ecological, pest management and commercial opportunity interests are considered.
Kind regards,
Joe Keynes
President, Livestock SA
