14 Aug 2026
Running a farm rarely leaves room for chasing down the right form, the right policy, or the right government contact, until needed most and often urgently.
That’s the gap the Queensland Farmers' Federation’s (QFF) Industry Workforce Advisor (IWA) Kate Reardon has set out to close, one conversation at a time.
The service is free, tailored to each business, and open to farmers, no matter what they grow, thanks to Queensland Government funding focused on helping small and medium employers identify and rectify workforce challenges, through the Industry Workforce Advisor Program.
Built around the grower not a generic pamphlet, Kate's approach to support delivery is deliberately simple.
“I don’t open with legislation obligations, a checklist or another audit,” she said.
"We have a chat about their frustrations, their limitations, their future plans or things they just simply don’t know.”
From there, she builds something tailored: a personalised list of free or discounted services aimed at workforce planning and running a small or medium sized business, along with any grants or funding that might suit them.
Left-to-Right: Nicole Spiegel, Grazing Land Management Scientist, Department of Primary Industries, QFF's Industry Jobs and Skills Advisor Program Manager Kym Wessling, and QFF's IWA Kate Reardon.
"I actually do some research on their local council area, and what grants or other services are available to them based on what they grow and where they live," she said.
“Other times it’s about starting the conversation to get them thinking about whether they've got the right processes in place when it comes to WHS and HR employer responsibilities.”
The value QFF brings to this work is not just the resource list – it’s the deep understanding of agriculture, along with being clear on what the service is, as much as what it is not.
As Kate put it, ignorance being bliss isn’t an insurance policy and doesn’t stand up to legislation where responsibility sits with the employer.
And while her role isn’t about handing down legal or HR advice, she is the person who knows where to look and has the time to do it.
"I can provide a list of government resources that support businesses in developing templates or understanding some of their obligations to employees, and some of the policies and procedures they need," she said.
"QFF knows that rural businesses are busy and we get that the primary focus is not always on the legislation and the regulations or the compliance piece," she said.
"Our role is to make it easier for people to find the right information, whether they're QFF members or not.
“It's about supporting the industry as a whole and making sure everyone can access the information that's needed."
While for grower members of some of QFF’s peak body members, such as CANEGROWERS, Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers, and Cotton Australia, it’s about advising them of existing layers of support already built directly into their membership, including access to HR services and legal advice.
The IWA program is now developing a webinar series to help growers spot these risks before they become a problem, not after.
"I've walked in their shoes. I've sat as an employer and had to do the induction,” she says.
"Sometimes growers feel that they may have the right policies and procedures and processes in place, but it's not until something goes south that they actually realise they're not as covered as they would like.
"No question is too big and no question is too small, or insignificant.”
To book a call or access more program information, growers can reach Kate Reardon directly on kate@qff.org.au or 07 3837 4728, or register interest through the IWA project page here.