Behind the scenes

The NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment are expected to announce a review into vesting mid-June 2020. 

They will be providing an overview of Vesting in the Australian Rice Industry in our Annual Branch meetings. 
RGA Members, Rice Growers, supporting businesses and broader community will be invited to engage in this process and will have the opportunity to provide submission for this review. 
Further details about engagement with key stakeholders and opportunity for submissions will be made available in the next few weeks.

Charleton Glenn, our Productivity and Industry Affairs Manager, attended the NFF Farming System Committee discussion on ‘Streamlining and modernising levies legislation consultation’ and is currently involved in preparing a submission which will focus on the key issues identified: 
1. Transparency, equity and the role of industry representative bodies 
2. Modernisation of regulatory powers for lovey collection 
3. GVP Three year rolling average for levies 
4. Total levies limit on matching funding 
5. Options for levies framework 

Rob Massina, RGA President has had numerous engagements with SunRice and dealt with more media inquiries than usual this month. See the latest RGA Media Releases on important issues below:

Lower Lakes freshwater future remains in doubt 13/05/2020 READ FULL MEDIA RELEASE HERE

The RGA attempts to estimate tomorrow's allocation announcements 14/05/2020 READ FULL MEDIA RELEASE HERE

High inflows justify a 1 June General Security allocation 28/05/2020 READ FULL MEDIA RELEASE HERE

Political move at the expense of Irrigators 02/06/2020 READ FULL MEDIA RELEASE HERE

Diary Update

Listed below  are some of the RGA's recent, significant engagements with Federal and State Ministers, Government Departments, Peak Bodies, and other major stakeholders
As well, the RGA are actively involved with the following organisations, meeting regularly and advocating on behalf of their members.

• Murray Regional Strategy Group
• Murray Region Regional Leadership forum hosted by Regional Development Australia
• Murrumbidgee PHN, Empowering our Communities Steering Committee (EOC)
• Murrumbidgee Water Sharing Plan Stakeholder Advisory Panel
• NSW Murray Water Sharing Plan Stakeholder Advisory Panel
• NFF CEO's 
• NFF Water Taskforce 
• NSW Irrigator’s Council Strategic Food Security Response Taskforce – Chair Rachel Kelly
• SunRice

May

May, Rachel Kelly participated in a NSW Irrigators Council (NSWIC)workshop on improving measures of water entitlement reliability going forward. 

May, Rachel attended a NSW Irrigators Council workshop to develop the NSW Irrigators Council 2020/21 Water Blueprint.

May, Australasia-Pacific Extension Network (APEN) mentoring program workshops attended by Rice Extension team members Charleton Glenn and Harriet Brickhill. 

Rob Massina attended a National Farmers Federation (NFF) members council meeting focusing on the impacts of ag supply chains from COVID-19  and speaking on behalf of the rice industry around rice supply into the near future, to 60 ag leaders across the nation.

Deniliquin AgWellness Providers Meeting hosted by the RGA ECP team Neil Bull and Erika Heffer The aim of these meetings is to bring together those that service farm businesses and associated Agricultural industries from both a farm production, financial and personal welfare/health perspective to ensure people are aware of who is working across the community towards similar and/or related outcomes. This will assist with better coordination of projects and initiatives that meet the needs of the community now and in the future. The meeting involves a range of organisations working in and serving the Edward River Council area and surrounding districts.  

 

May, Rachel and Graeme attended the National Irrigators video conference meeting to hear presentations from:
• Minister for Water Resources, the Hon Keith Pitt, who indicated that his focus was to deliver on the recommendations and findings of the many reports completed and being undertaken.
• The Deputy Inspector-General Ramzi Jabour, discussed their report on water sharing arrangements and indicated that they were still doing more work on the issues raised during their engagement with communities.
• The ACCC Deputy Commissioner Mick Keogh, gave a presentation on the emerging themes from their inquiry into water markets. He indicated that his interim report was now due at the end of June and that the final report would be completed in November this year. 
• The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) gave a presentation on the Bio-energy Roadmap.  

Members in attendance were given the opportunity to ask questions and discuss the recommendations related to the inquiries and reports. 

May, Rachel Kelly participated in the NSW Irrigators Council workshop to review and update the NSWIC policy position on Water Property Rights.

Graeme attended the Murray Regional Strategy Group (MRSG) Board meeting where it was agreed that the Group still had an important role to represent the specific interests of stakeholders and members in the Murray Valley.   The Board also discussed the various submissions made by MRSG and determined further actions relating to advocacy and engagement on these.

Murray Landcare Collective Meeting hosted by the RGA ECP team Erika and Neil Topics covered included;
• NSW Landcare update from the management team
• Yarkuwa Indigenous Knowledge Centres community awareness and education project

May, Rachel Kelly and Claire Miller met with the Water Advisor to the NSW Minister for Water to review key changes sought to the Water Sharing Plans for the Murrumbidgee and NSW Murray.

May,Graeme attended a meeting hosted by NFF with the Trade Minister, The Hon Simon Birmingham who gave an update on trade issues associated with COVid-19 and progress being made with Free Trade Agreements.

Graeme and Belinda attended a meeting with Telstra, one of the RGA’s key sponsor partners who have just renewed their sponsorship for another 2 years.  
Telstra has announced a 12 month extension all current sponsorships that are due to expire this year, due to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic - to help their partners during this challenging time.
The RGA are very appreciative that Telstra has extended this commitment by signing up for another 2 years which provides our member’s access to better information and products to improve their businesses. READ THE FULL TELSTRA ARTICLE

May, Rob presented to Riverina and Murray Joint Organisation (RAMJO) mayors on the rice industry and its significant input to local economies.

Graeme attended a special out of session NFF Trade Committee meeting, with a presentation from Professor James Laurenceson, Director of the Australian-China Relations Institute.  His topic was Australia’s trade relationship with China. The presentation was followed by a brief Q&A session and a discussion on NFF’s policy stance regarding China.

The Murray Valley Water Sharing Plan Stakeholder representatives met to discuss key amendments to the Water Sharing Plan that would be suggested to the NSW Minister for Water and the Department.

May,  Jeremy Morton, Graeme Kruger and Rachel Kelly participated in the National Irrigators’ Councils webinar with the federal Shadow Water Minister, Terri Butler MP.

May, Representatives from SunRice and the RGA met with the Murray Darling Basin Authority to discuss the ‘Underusage’ report that is expected to be released by the Murray Darling Basin Authority in the next two weeks.

April

April, Charleton attended a NFF Farming systems committee biosecurity policy discussion about the development of a national biosecurity plan i.e Rice Industry works closely with Plant Health Australia and already has a biosecurity framework for our industry. 

April, Charleton attended a Review of the Agvet chemical regulatory framework – NFF, DAWE (Department of Agriculture, Water and The Environment). Submissions for this review are due in August. 

April, the RGA and SunRice participated in a teleconference with the NSW State Water Minister, Melinda Pavey and the Deputy Premiers office to discuss our concerns associated with the impacts of water policy in general, seeking solutions to improve general security reliability.  We used the opportunity to discuss the impact that this is having on the rice industry and irrigators in general and that Australia will run out of domestic rice by the end of the year.

Go to the RGA Website to learn more about your team