Dairy Poll 2022

Investing in dairy’s future

The following four investment areas will deliver tangible benefits to farm businesses in areas that are of most importance to farmers and for the industry's future.

These additional investment opportunities will tackle labour shortages, enhance the regional service offering to farmers, address high priority issues as it relates to climate, and bolster policy support.

Our ability to deliver on these investments and the benefit to farm businesses, will depend on the outcome of the vote.

1. Labour

Farmers will have access to more people on-farm to address labour needs both now and in the future.

LPAC recommended
Levy poll options No change 15% increase 20% increase 25% increase
Levy Rate (approx.) 4.7c /kgMS 5.5c /kgMS 5.7c /kgMS 5.9c /kgMS
Employment tools for farm businesses
  • Resources to support efficient on-boarding of new staff on-farm.
  • Delivery of 1:1 workforce support that is customised to individual farm business needs.
  • Tools to support farmers plan for their workforce and team needs.
  • More informed employers through greater access to labour data.
Partnerships with agriculture recruitment specialists
  • Partnerships that provide greater access to people - recruitment agencies, agriculture human resource management specialists, immigration agencies, high schools, vocational education providers and universities.
  • National partnerships connecting farm businesses and workforce/education sources.
Large scale recruitment marketing campaign
  • National workforce recruitment marketing campaign promoted through mass media to attract people to dairy.
  • On-farm real life work experiences to attract those considering a career in farming.
More information about estimated additional investments, impact and benefitsCollapsed

2. Regional Services

Farmers will benefit from more accessible regional services tailored to their business needs.

LPAC recommended
Levy poll options No change 15% increase 20% increase 25% increase
Levy Rate (approx.) 4.7c /kgMS 5.5c /kgMS 5.7c /kgMS 5.9c /kgMS
Greater access to regional services
  • Farm businesses have a Dairy Australia regional point of contact giving them easy access to services and an easy way to provide feedback.
  • Delivery of services including extension activities that are prioritised by Regional Boards, individualised and customised to farm business needs.
  • Significant bolstering of people resources to support enhanced service offering to farmers.
Technical expertise that supports farm businesses with increased productivity
  • Access to advanced technical services through regions, that support the development and implementation of new innovations on-farm.
  • Access to new service providers in the industry, to support tactical needs on-farm.
More information about estimated additional investments, impact and benefitsCollapsed

3. Climate

Farmers will be supported to address the climate challenge and reap the benefit of returns from carbon market participation.

LPAC recommended
Levy poll options No change 15% increase 20% increase 25% increase
Levy Rate (approx.) 4.7c /kgMS 5.5c /kgMS 5.7c /kgMS 5.9c /kgMS
Participation in carbon markets
  • Initiatives to assist farm businesses to assess value, risk, liabilities and steps to entry into carbon markets.
  • Provide a comprehensive understanding of the cost of emission measurement across farm-systems that when applied lead to emission reduction.
  • Provide access to a trusted group of advisers that can facilitate participation in a carbon market.
Large scale initiatives to address major climate risks of the next decade
  • Address barriers and actively facilitate proactive and rapid uptake of adaptation practices on-farm (nationally coordinated, as well as locally delivered initiatives).
  • Link long-term climate scenario planning with on-farm adaptation goals and actions.
  • Work with State Governments and other industry partners to quantify the magnitude of climate change-related impacts on-farm, to better understand the scale and pace of adaptive measures required.

More information about estimated additional investments, impact and benefits

Climate – CarbonCollapsed
Climate – Large scale initiatives to address major climate risks of the next decade Collapsed

4. Policy Development

Farmers will have a stronger voice through more informed policy positions that advance the dairy industry.

LPAC recommended
Levy poll options No change 15% increase 20% increase 25% increase
Levy Rate (approx.) 4.7c /kgMS 5.5c /kgMS 5.7c /kgMS 5.9c /kgMS
Enhanced national policy development support
  • Subject to a viable and suitable proposal being brought forward by the Australian Dairy Farmers (ADF), develop a new national consultation mechanism for policy development, including more effective reference groups/taskforces.
  • Increased resources to cover a greater depth and breadth of policy research needs including funding collaboration with external bodies to provide policy support (e.g. Australian Farm Institute).
  • A national annual policy needs survey to gather insights from dairy farmers that can be used in for the purpose of policy development.
Regional/state support for policy development
  • Information and data capture mechanisms and resourcing to engage farmers to gather regional policy insights and address grassroots policy issues.
  • Enhanced information and data to support the State Dairy Farming Organisations in their policy development processes, allowing them to focus on advocacy.
More information about estimated additional investments, impact and benefitsCollapsed

Legend

  • = Base level of investment
  • = Additional investment
  • = Full investment

more information, please have a look at the Information MemorandumOpens in new window  document.