16 Feb 2026
- The Murray–Darling Basin Authority has released its Basin Plan Review Discussion Paper, opening a 12-week consultation that will shape water policy for the next decade. To help Basin communities, irrigators and regional industries engage, the One Basin CRC is hosting a series of online expert panel sessions in March to unpack the key issues and inform its submission. Read more and register to join a session here.
- Queensland’s sugarcane growers have delivered the final word at the State Government’s Biofuels Inquiry, with CANEGROWERS closing the final hearing in Brisbane. Representing almost 3,000 growers, the organisation urged government to move beyond discussion and back biofuels and co-generation with clear policy, investment and support for primary producers. Read more.
- Toowoomba Grammar School has launched TGX, a future-focused learning initiative connecting students with real-world challenges across agriculture, industry and environment. QFF CEO Jo Sheppard, said programs like TGX align strongly with QFF’s work building a skilled agricultural workforce through initiatives such as SmartAg Queensland, AgTech advisor programs and industry-led skills development. Read more here.
- Fair Farms has appointed a new National Program Manager, strengthening the leadership of Australia’s independent social compliance certification program for horticulture. Delivered by Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers, the program now supports employers representing more than 20,000 workers nationwide and continues to expand into adjacent sectors. Read more here.
Greenlife Industry Queensland have articulated the unique opportunity of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games for the nursery and horticulture industry. Read more here.
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has released the results of its largest national survey of antimicrobial resistance in raw retail meats since 2008. The Australian Chicken Meat Federation says the findings confirm decades of responsible antibiotic use in the chicken meat sector, with antibiotics used only when genuinely needed under strict veterinary oversight, helping protect public health and maintain consumer and market confidence.
- Residents, landholders and businesses across the Whitsundays are invited to a free Queensland Community Energy Forum in Proserpine on Friday 20 March 2026. The forum brings together agriculture, energy, government and developers to share clear information and support informed, place-based discussion on current and future development. Read more here.
- Landholders navigating renewable energy developments can contact QFF’s Energy Information Service for Landholders (EISL) on 07 3329 7500 for free, independent support and information. QFF also publishes a quarterly Ag Energy E-News to keep industry up to date on energy policy, projects and events; subscribe here.
- The new CRDC Cotton Course is now open, offering flexible, targeted learning for people across the Australian cotton industry. Delivered by the University of Sydney in partnership with CottonInfo and Cotton Seed Distributors, the course features three microcredentials designed to build practical skills without traditional university entry requirements. Read more and register here.
- QFF’s latest President’s column outlines agriculture’s commitment to strong environmental outcomes, while raising concerns about how recent EPBC Act reforms will be applied on the ground. The column calls for practical consultation and policy settings that balance environmental protection with sustainable food, fibre and foliage production. Read more here.