- Disaster assistance is now available for local Councils in regional Queensland, impacted by recent wet weather events. Support has been activated for the first of the regions affected by monsoon activity during December and January, through the jointly funded Commonwealth State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA). Councils can receive assistance to help repair roads and other essential public infrastructure, as well as covering the cost of counter disaster operations like evacuation centres. Information on disaster assistance can be found on the Queensland Reconstruction Authority’s website at qra.qld.gov.au.
- Last week QFF welcomed the opportunity to provide comment on the QCA Interim consultation paper: Regulated retail electricity prices for 2023-24 (December 2022). Without incorporating adequate pricing that takes into consideration electricity required for irrigation, current farm design and other primary production purposes, the long-term viability of Queensland’s agricultural industry remains in question. Read the submission HERE.
- QFF is growing! This is statement you’re likely to hear quite a bit this year. CEO Jo Sheppard and the team would like to welcome Anna Jones as Corporate Partnerships and Communications Manager. In this newly formed role, Anna will be part of our high performing executive leadership team to develop and maintain deep partnerships that deliver strong mutual benefit to QFF, our members and our partners. Welcome to the team Anna.
- Discover some of the latest innovations in the grains sector at the Agtech and Logistics Hub’s GroundUp Agtech Showcase Day. Held on Thursday 16 February, the event is the culmination of GroundUp, an accelerator run by the Hub in conjunction with the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC). Drones, drift reduction technology and farm safety software are just some of the cutting-edge agtech that will be on display on the day. For more information and to register, see HERE.
- Transforming Australian Food Systems: Discussion Paper. The CSIRO invites industry, peak bodies, government, professional and consumer and civil groups, and individuals to participate and provide comment on the content in this Discussion Paper. The Discussion Paper will inform the development of an “Australian Food Systems Roadmap” (the Roadmap). The Roadmap is intended to help guide the sustainable transformation that is necessary across Australia’s food systems, and takes a systems lens looking at the entire food value chain and its many interacting systems. Read more about it HERE.
- The Productivity Commission has started its review of the Future Drought Fund (FDF) and is calling for submissions and comments. The review will assess the effectiveness of the FDF and its programs in supporting farmers and communities prepare for drought. To learn more about the review, and to provide your feedback about the FDF, head directly to the Productivity Commission HERE. Submissions close on 3 March 2023. Feedback received will help inform the future direction of the FDF’s investment in getting farmers and regional communities better prepared for drought.
- This month in Telstra’s Technology Tips are the Telstra Mobile Satellite devices, which are ideal for remote locations, as well as being prepared for disaster season. Telstra has the latest Iridium handsets, which look and work just like regular mobile phones, as well as a wide range of access plans and accessories designed to maximise the functionality of your satellite phone for use in your vehicle, boat or on foot. Find out more HERE.
- The Industry Kickstarter grant is offered by UQ Agri-Food Innovation Alliance to help academics and industry in SEQ conduct co-created collaborative research that will have a clear pathway of impact for the agri-food industry and provide the partnership and impactful research to leverage further external funding. Grants of up to $30K are offered to successful applications for projects of 1 year duration. If you do not have a UQ academic partner, just submit an EoI with your project idea and they will help you find a suitable academic from UQ. EoI’s close 1 February and your academic partner will work with you to submit an application, prior to the closing date 28 February 2023. Full information can be found HERE.
- In the next episode of QFF’s Farm Business Hour on 22 February we will delve into various issues faced by family businesses including governance and legal issues. Australian agriculture has long been based on a foundation of family farming units, with farms owned and operated by families whose members supply most of the labour involved in operating the farm. According to ABARES, there are over 85,000 farm businesses in Australia, 99 percent of which are family owned and operated. For more information about the webinar and to register, see HERE.
- Scam alert! QFF has been made aware of a phone phishing scammer calling themselves ‘Energy Savers’. This has nothing to do with QFF’s Energy Savers program. Please be aware of this scam and if you receive a call like this be sure to report it to our team by calling 07 3837 4720 or emailing qfarmers@qff.org.au.
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