1. Due to the recent flooding in Victoria, AgriFutures has extended the application deadline for the Rural Women’s Award for all states until 16th November 2022. This provides an extra four weeks to complete your application, encourage colleagues, friends or relatives to apply, and spread the word through your networks, social media and newsletters. The Rural Women’s Award is an invaluable experience to develop as a leader for everyone from those just starting out to seasoned business leaders. Applications are through AgriFutures.
2. Under the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan, the Queensland Government has released a draft Regional Energy Transformation Partnerships Framework outlining the proposed approach to partnering with community, delivering community outcomes and encouraging best practice clean energy infrastructure investment. A state-wide survey is now live.
3. Local governments and landcare groups across Queensland are encouraged to apply for grants totaling almost $1 million to support projects that reduce the impact of invasive plants and animals. Applications close on 30 October.
4. Consultation on the non-urban water measurement policy proposals has been completed and the Queensland government has published a policy Queensland Non-Urban Water Measurement Policy and implementation plan Queensland non-urban water measurement policy implementation plan to guide the roll out of the policy. Full implementation of the policy will require legislative changes which will be progressed during 2023.
5. In Episode 6 of the QFF Farm Business Hour, held on Wednesday 26 October, QFF discussed the challenges faced by rural women in building their financial resilience and security.
6. QFF member organisation, CANEGROWERS, work hard to ensure Queensland’s sugar industry is recognised as one of the world’s top suppliers of sustainably produced sugar. A growing demand from customers who are wanting the sugar used in their products to meet sustainability criteria around farming practices, environmental issues, and workforce conditions. Learn more about how blockchain technology can track sugar from paddock to packet and provide customers with confidence.
7. The Australian Cotton Industry continues to kick goals as it progresses on its incredible sustainability journey. This season on the Darling Downs, cotton farmers have used next to no chemicals for pests as they focus on soil and plant health.
8. Growcom delivers national-scale programs and services across the entire horticulture industry to support the sustainability and profitability of the industry, including the best management practice program Hort 360. This computer based, risk assessment tool is designed to provide the farm enterprise with a 360-degree view of their farm business operations. This whole of business tool is helping horticulture farmers identify risk and capitalise on opportunities.
9. QFF and members Canegrowers, Cotton Australia, Growcom and East Aus Milk met with Senator Hon Murray Watt, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to raise a number of key challenges for Queensland agriculture including workforce shortages, rising input costs, biosecurity, the methane pledge, and natural disaster preparedness.
10. Recent rainfall in Central Highlands Region has seen the mighty Fairbairn Dam rise to 31.77 per cent capacity which is good news for the community and local irrigators. The dam’s primary function is to store water for irrigation, industrial and urban use and it has been instrumental in the development of the region. At 100 per cent capacity, the dam stores an impressive 1,301,000 megalitres of water.
