2005/2006 2004/2005 2003/2004 2002/2003 2001/2002 2000/2001 Return to About Us AgForce Achievements 2005/2006   General policy Leasehold Tenure AgForce has secured a practical leasehold land strategy which should allay the concerns of thousands of Queensland landholders by providing security of tenure. The State Rural Leasehold Land Strategy - which is a cornerstone of the AgForce instigated Blueprint for the Bush - offers a 30, 40 and 50 year framework for term leases, depending on the condition of the land. AgForce argued strongly that the best way to achieve environmental outcomes was to maximise length of lease for those undertaking good land management as part of an incentive driven system.   Review of the Vegetation Management Act AgForce argued many of the problems associated with the Vegetation Management Act are caused by the way the State Government has implemented the legislation. AgForce will continue to push for an external review of the Act’s implementation.   Mulga AgForce will continue to pursue the State Government until a workable system is put in place for fodder harvesting of mulga. In fact, AgForce pushed for the development of the Boyland report into the sustainable harvesting of mulga for fodder and the report itself was launched at the AgForce 2006 State Conference in Charleville. Ongoing drought in the South West region has placed enormous stress on the community and the use of mulga for fodder has historically played a critical role in allowing landholders to manage the variability of climatic conditions in the region.   Leasehold rent AgForce has saved rural producers $30 million in crippling leasehold rent hikes by successfully lobbying for rent freezes on valuations announced in 2005 and 2006. AgForce lobbied the State Government for a 12 month freeze on Western Shire valuations announced on February 27, 2006 and at the same time was able to secure a 12 month extension of the freeze associated with the Eastern Shire valuations that were announced in 2005. AgForce is continuing to push for a more sensible approach to determining leasehold land rents. AgForce believes instead of being based on wildly fluctuating land valuations, leasehold rents should instead rise by no more than the Consumer Price Index (CPI).   Valuations AgForce has lobbied the government to have a more practical approach to landholders on this issue and has co-ordinated meetings across the regions re-valued in 2006 to give firsthand information to members and landowners to ensure valuations were accurate. A key activity has been to provide landholders with the information to lodge objections and seek further information from the Department of Natural Resources and Water.     Water AgForce has saved irrigators in the Boyne area at least $200,000 by successfully arguing against a $7/megalitre jump in charges in 2006. Originally Boyne irrigators faced the price hike because pumping costs were included in the cost calculation by SunWater despite the fact that all irrigation water in the region is gravity fed and therefore does not require pumping. AgForce’s relentless campaign against the State Government’s unjustifiable water taxes has resulted in the decision by Premier Peter Beattie to suspend all new water charges including the $4/megalitre irrigation charge and the $100 management fee for stock and domestic bores. Abolishment of the $50 annual license fee for stock and domestic for users outside the Great Artesian Basin (GAB). This means that those members outside the GAB who had been paying an annual fee will no longer be charged. Allocation of an additional $1.5 million to the GAB Sustainability Initiative (GABSI) with the government encouraging landholders to participate in bore capping by establishing a $10 million low interest loan facility through its rural and regional assistance provider QRAA.   Wild Rivers AgForce secured an in principle agreement from the Queensland Government to exempt agriculture from onerous restrictions contained in the Wild Rivers legislation. In July 2006 the government had agreed to amend the legislation which meant farmers could grow fodder crops outside the high preservation areas in declared wild river areas, plus allowed sand and gravel to be extracted from rivers for essential community needs such as road construction. AgForce formed a special task force to fight this unnecessary legislation and secured a two month extension to the submission period for the Wild Rivers codes and declarations. AgForce has continued to push for the introduction of the codes to be deferred for 12 months while more community consultation is undertaken.   Blueprint for the Bush The historic AgForce initiated Blueprint for the Bush represents the first critical chapter in ensuring the longevity of Queensland’s rural and remote communities. The wide ranging document will hopefully form the cornerstone of a revitalised bush and represented a major breakthrough in getting the interests of agriculture and rural Queensland back on the George Street agenda. Key points include: $19 million Rural Leasehold Strategy $11 million pest and weed offensive $30 million for strengthening rural communities and $1 million annually to promote a positive view of agriculture.   Drought As a result of AgForce's successes in pushing for Exceptional Circumstances (EC) declarations more than $250 million has been paid to Queensland farmers and graziers in 2005-2006 in the form of QRAA interest subsidies and Centrelink assistance to help them cope with the ongoing drought. Hard fought lobbying by AgForce has delivered extensions to EC assistance for thousands of producers, some in regions in a record fourth year of EC declaration. The federal declaration provides access to a relief payment via Centrelink and interest rate relief subsidies of up to $100,000 per year through QRAA. On the state front, drought declarations provide access to the transport of fodder, water and (in some cases) stock, drought recovery loans and carry-on loans.   Forestry AgForce successfully lobbied for the new State Government code for native forest practices on freehold land to preserve the rights of freehold landholders to conduct sustainable forest practices on private land. AgForce successfully argued that when a person buys land, the State Government affords them the right to sustainably harvest any commercial timber on that property within the guidelines of this code.   Education AgForce has an ongoing commitment to encouraging students to take up a career in agriculture. AgForce successfully secured 12 months of funding to retain the full time schools liaison officer position and associated activities through the Queensland Government’s Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Department of Education and Training and Department of Education and the Arts.   AgForward AgForce’s AgForward project has run 95 foundation workshops (focusing on Property Maps of Assessable Vegetation) since the project started early in 2005. More than 1000 enterprises have booked into these workshops. Computer mapping workshops and other decision support tools are currently being developed. AgForward provides producers with the technology and skills to finetune their operations. It is one of the most significant projects ever spearheaded by AgForce and unites a variety of rural groups and the Queensland Government in a unique partnership. AgForward is now moving into offering computer mapping workshops. Computer mapping enables producers to accurately record infrastructure on individual properties including the distance of each type of fencing, poly pipes and the grazing history of paddocks.   AgForests Queensland A joint initiative of AgForce and Timber Queensland, the AgForests project helps landholders manage land for native forest timber production in conjunction with grazing. AgForests provides information on forest management and product marketing guides and model contracts for timber sales. AgForests ran eight one day workshops in 2005, attended by 200 people. In 2006, a series of five day workshops have been run in the Burnett and south east on the management and selling of timber from freehold native forests with a total of 55 participants. This was followed by a string of highly successful workshops on the Native Forest Practice Code where about 350 landowners and timber industry members attended 20 training days. In 2007 the project will expand into other regions, based on member interest and requirements.     AgForce Grains   AgForce Grains has taken the lead on a host of issues, including the promotion of a renewable fuels industry in Queensland. Some of the recent wins on behalf of our members include:   Ensuring continued and improved government support for a sustainable biofuels industry based on grain in Queensland. In fact, Queensland now has the most proactive government toward biofuels in Australia. AgForce Grains was a major contributing group to the organisation of Ethanol 2006, Australia’s international ethanol conference in Brisbane. This conference bought together experts from across the globe to meet with the future suppliers, constructors, operators and investors of ethanol plants in Australia with more than 430 delegates at the event. This was a great opportunity for growers to find out more about the industry and how they could be involved to value add to their farming operations. Instrumental in ensuring an interim rail freight agreement was put in place during the rail stoppage in September 2005. This issue was preventing grain from moving at a critical time for wheat producers in Queensland. AgForce Grains continues to push the importance of cost and time effective transport options for grains. Achieved a record number of trucks – more than 1800 in 2005-06 - registered in the Grain Harvest Management Scheme which allows for the variability of infield loading, providing peace of mind for growers as they truck their product to grain depots. The scheme is the best of its kind in Australia and the envy of other industries and states. AgForce Grains has been the key to the smooth running of the system and continues to lobby in support of the system. Organised Grains Week 2005 held in Brisbane in April of that year. This event was a great success and was followed by a tour of some of the best grain producing properties Queensland has to offer. Grains Week is one of the centerpieces of the grains industry and brings together all sectors of the industry for a series of informative discussions. Instigated the development of a best practices guide to allow the producers of the Northern grains region to prove their environmental credibility, learn from the best information available and improve their practices to be more economically and environmentally sustainable. Had input into a section of the Reef Plan which ensured grain growers, through the development of the best practices guide, were not allowing unnecessary fertiliser runoff from their farming systems. This means grains should remain at a low to medium risk level in the plan and will not come under any unnecessary pressure from environmental groups in catchments adjoining the Great Barrier Reef. Represented the views of the Queensland grain producers at a national level through our position on the Grains Council of Australia and thereby on the NFF. The Single Desk has come under continued attack and AgForce Grains has lobbied strongly at a national level the views of the Queensland grain producers identified through a survey on the desk in early 2006. AgForce Grains continues to support a single desk in a form as close to the existing one as possible, in line with the views of 80 per cent of the wheat growers of Queensland. Contributed to the direction of research and development through monitoring the undertakings of the Grains Research Foundation (GRF) and administration of the Regional Advisory Committees (RACs). GRF, a statutory body, is the grower link to government run research and AgForce Grains is closely aligned with this group to ensure the interests of producers are met through research and development. The RACs are the grower link to GRDC and act as advisory groups to the Northern Panel. The RACs are administered by AgForce Grains. Actively participated in Rural Discovery Day and the Food and Fibre Trail at the Brisbane Exhibition where more than 2500 school children learnt about the grains industry in Queensland and more importantly how it is connected to the food they eat every day. This is a great way to correct the misinformation and lack of understanding about farming amongst the urban population. Heavily involved in developing the National Grains Industry Biosecurity Plan, which was launched in August 2005. The plan identified exotic pests and diseases that would impact on the viability of Australian Grain Producers and strategies to combat an incursion of these pests and diseases. The National Grains Industry Biosecurity Plan also includes a cost sharing agreement which will provide compensation for growers affected by an exotic incursion. Co-ordinated the AWB Limited Innovation in Grains Awards at the AgForce/MLA MEATing Centre during the Brisbane Exhibition showcasing excellence in the Queensland grains industries.     AgForce Cattle   AgForce Cattle has tackled a large number of issues on behalf on members with success in fields ranging from increased funding for National Livestock Identification System implementation to more grazier representation at a government level.   AgForce Cattle has had strong ongoing input into the Queensland National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) implementation process and the development of the Queensland NLIS funding business plan. AgForce successfully lobbied for an additional $800,000 from the State Government for the NLIS device manufacturer’s innovation grant to increase competition in the NLIS tag market and to reduce the price of NLIS devices to Queensland producers in the long term. AgForce secured $2.6 million for the tag manufacturer’s innovation grant and $2.6 million in reader rebates. These funds were from the $20 million dedicated to NLIS in Queensland from the Federal Government, secured by strong lobbying from AgForce and Cattle Council of Australia. The majority of NLIS funding will benefit the production sector. AgForce Cattle, in partnership with Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries and Meat and Livestock Australia, employed Anna Keetels as the AgForce NLIS implementation and information officer to provide producers across Queensland with free workshops and information on NLIS compliance. Successfully lobbied for the removal of the requirement to tail tag cattle prior to sale once NLIS implementation had proven operational accuracy at saleyards and abattoirs. Co-ordinated industry’s response to the Queensland Transport and QR review of QR Livestock and successfully ensured a more reasonable and uniform price increase across the rail routes for 2006. Ensuring a positive working relationship between industry, major rail users and the State Government in instituting reforms in livestock rail transport during the next three years remains vital. On behalf of Animal Health Australia, AgForce Cattle co-ordinated a series of Industry Liaison Officer – Emergency Animal Disease Response workshops in Cloncurry, Charters Towers, Atherton, Emerald, Longreach and Kingaroy to train livestock producers in local area response to disease outbreaks. Lobbied strongly and in partnership with the Australian Livestock Transporters Association, both State and Federal Governments in relation to the proposal by the National Transport Commission to increase registrations for B-Doubles and Road Trains by 37 per cent and 35 per cent respectively and the diesel tax excise for heavy vehicles by 2.1c/litre. AgForce lobbied for and worked with the Queensland Biosecurity Advisory Council and the Department of Primary Industries in the establishment of Cattle Tick Management Queensland (CTMQ) - an industry/government partnership focussing on the management of the Queensland cattle tick program. Chilled tick vaccine will be available year round after AgForce ensured industry provided feedback on an unannounced Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries trial to provide only frozen vaccine in December 2005 and January 2006. Co-ordinated the Rabobank Red Meat Industry Awards at the MEATing Centre during the Brisbane Exhibition showcasing excellence in the Queensland red meat industry.        AgForce Sheep & Wool AgForce Sheep & Wool remains committed lobbyist and has also stepped forward to promote positive aspects of the industry’s future. Some of its achievements for members include:   AgForce Sheep & Wool has strongly defended producers in the battle against animal rights activities and the ongoing threat they pose to Australia’s livestock industries. AgForce has been heavily involved in industry negotiations for the most effective way to deal with this ongoing problem. As a member of several national industry organisations, AgForce Sheep & Wool is a part of the Australian Wool and Sheep Industry Taskforce which has taken on animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in the courts. AgForce Sheep & Wool encouraged producers to think positively about the future of their industries by hosting a Sheep & Wool Future forum in Goondiwindi. Key industry leaders highlighted the latest information and technology and showcased the quality of Queensland sheep genetics. Heavily lobbied of behalf of Queensland producers for the most effective roll out of the National Livestock Identification System (Sheep). Queensland was the first state to announce that they would fully implement NLIS (Sheep), showing a commitment to biosecurity measures that benefit all livestock industries. AgForce Sheep & Wool ensures Queensland producers are heard at the national level with continuing strong relationships with key industry bodies such as WoolProducers, Sheepmeat Council of Australia and the Goat Industry Council of Australia. And on the international scene, AgForce Sheep & Wool actively lobbied the Federal Government to ensure the Australian sheep industry a larger sheepmeat quota into the lucrative European Union market. AgForce Sheep & Wool have also pushed for industry to have a clear direction into the future by supporting the ongoing talks for plans to merge Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) and Australian Wool Services (AWS). Heavy involvement in the ongoing implementation of the Wild Dog Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between AgForce, Department of Natural Resources and Water, Environmental Protection Agency and local governments, with the aim of effective wild dog control. The MOU has continued to progress since it was announced in February 2005 which on ground workshops on wild dog control methods now running. AgForce Sheep & Wool members were involved in the development of the Australian Goat Industry Best Practice Manual, in conjunction with the Goat Industry Council of Australia and Meat and Livestock Australia. AgForce Sheep & Wool was heavily involved in the development of the Wool Industry Partnership Project, titled ‘Taking Stock and Setting Directions’. This was a collaboration between WoolProducers and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and involved setting the industry’s key goals for the next 15 years. AgForce Sheep & Wool have been instrumental in planning for the 200 Years of Exporting Australian Wool celebrations planned for 2007. AgForce Sheep & Wool strongly promoted a levy of at least two per cent for WoolPoll 2006. This level of funding is needed to guarantee that there is adequate money available for research, development and marketing to ensure the longevity of the wool industry.