The Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) has welcomed the Parliament of Victoria’s Report on the Proposed Lease of the Port of Melbourne (PoM).

ADIC Chair, Simone Jolliffe said the dairy industry was pleased to see key recommendations of the Parliamentary report address a number of concerns around the proposed lease.

“The report’s recommendations reflect industry concerns regarding the impact of the lease on leaseholders. In particular, the recommendation to amend legislation that will lock in a role for the Essential Service Commission to manage complaints around Port pricing is a positive acknowledgment of industry advice,” Mrs Jolliffe said.

“However, key issues including safeguards for lease holders are not addressed. There needs to be greater oversight and safeguards on fees and charges for port users.”

Further, the issue of compensation for leaseholders, the amount of money being allocated to rural and regional Victoria, the timing and process for development of a second port, and the investment in the freight infrastructure servicing the port must also be considered.”

With over 85% of Australia’s total dairy exports sent via the PoM, the dairy industry is the fifth largest user of the Port. The PoM is not only the point of export for Victorian dairy producers, but also for the dairy industry located in Tasmania and parts of South Australia and New South Wales.

The ADIC has previously expressed concern at rents potentially doubling by 2023, which would significantly impact dairy’s competitiveness globally. The pricing, ongoing cost- effectiveness and efficiency of the PoM will continue to play a pivotal role in the global competitiveness of Australian dairy.

“In conjunction with the Victorian Farmers’ Federation, the ADIC will continue to engage with the Victorian Government to ensure the lease agreement encourages competition and efficiency,” Mrs Jolliffe said.

The ADIC urged the Victorian Government to adopt the key recommendations of the Parliamentary report, and called for further consultation with industry regarding appropriate safeguards and compensation.

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The Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) has applauded the confirmation that the China- Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) will enter into force on 20 December 2015.

ADIC Chair, Simone Jolliffe said the dairy industry was extremely pleased that the historic agreement will be ratified before the end of the 2015 calendar year.

“The entire dairy value chain, led by the ADIC, has lobbied strongly for the implementation of ChAFTA and we are pleased to see its entry into force,” Mrs Jolliffe said.

“On 20 December, Australian dairy exporters will experience the first year’s tranche of tariff reductions. This will be followed by a second round of tariff cuts on 1 January 2016.”

“In the long term this will mean more jobs across the Australian dairy industry both on farm and in processing plants. It will provide our industry with the confidence it needs to invest for a strong future.”

The ADIC thanked the Minister for Trade and Investment, Andrew Robb, and his team of negotiators as well as the Australian government, industry and the broader dairy community for its ongoing support and for ensuring the deal will be ratified in the 2015 calendar year.

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The Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) welcomed the Coalition’s response to the independent review of the Water Act 2007 yesterday.

ADIC Chair, Simone Jolliffe said that the industry welcomed the adoption of recommendations including to provide greater trading flexibility for the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH).

“The ADIC has long sought this flexibility for the CEWH in optimising environmental outcomes in ways that ensure dairy producers have better access to water supplies,” Mrs Jolliffe said.

“Dairy has proved a flexible and responsible user of water. We have adapted our practices to be more water-efficient. However, reduced access to water resources is already putting pressure on dairy’s productivity and profitability. This flexibility is key to helping our industry remain viable. It will also ensure a balanced approach to achieving environmental outcomes in the Murray Darling Basin.”

Mrs Jolliffe described this as a positive first step for the industry but highlighted that the ADIC was eager to see greater improvements made in the implementation of the Act and the Murray Darling Basin Plan.

“That the Government didn’t agree with the submissions of many to amend the Act to unambiguously state a triple-bottom-line objective or to strengthen the current implementation of the legislation is of concern. Such an approach is critical,” Mrs Jolliffe said.

“We were pleased to see the Government amend timelines to some evaluations and reviews under the Act. The ADIC believes these revisions need to be applied to all elements of the Act. In particular, there is a need for a robust evaluation of environmental, economic and social impacts before considering an additional 450 gigalitres (GL) of water being taken from agriculture.”

The ADIC also acknowledged the Government’s commitment to continue to work towards achieving a total 650GL supply offset. The ADIC is committed to working with Government to improve the management of water in the Basin, achieve the necessary community buy-in, and achieve socio- economic outcomes while meeting environmental targets.

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The Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) has recognised Victorian dairy farmer and advocate, Shirley Harlock for her contribution to the industry, with the 2015 Outstanding Service Award. The award was presented at this morning’s Dairy Industry Leaders Breakfast held in Melbourne, Victoria.

The award celebrates the lives and careers of industry participants whose contribution has significantly shaped the dairy community and beyond for the benefit of the whole value chain.

Outgoing ADIC Chair, Noel Campbell said Mrs Harlock has been key player in shaping the policy landscape for Australian dairy since joining the industry over four decades ago.

“Shirley has consistently endeavoured to grow and promote dairy’s valuable contribution to Australian communities. She is a valuable leader in the industry, whose enthusiasm, expertise and professionalism are exemplary,” Mr Campbell said.

“Shirley has a strong belief in advancing industry change through science and innovation. This has seen her advocate for the continued investment in research and development to industry, government and the broader community.

“For over four decades, Shirley has been extensively involved with industry representation, helping to find practical, effective solutions to its challenges. Her philosophy that “if you’re not involved, you’re part of the problem” has importantly meant that Shirley brought many in the dairy community along with her.”

Shirley has held local and executive positions with United Dairyfarmers of Victoria, and was a Director of Australian Dairy Farmers (ADF). She also served as Chair of Dairy Food Safety Victoria for ten years, during which she devoted her time to demonstrating dairy’s commitment to high quality, safe products. In 2005, Shirley was appointed Chair of the Dairy Australia Future Dairy project, charged with research, development and adoption of robotic technology for Australian dairy farms.

In partnership with her husband John, Shirley continues to actively operate dairy farms in Warrnambool, Victoria and support farms in South Australia. Shirley’s involvement continues as chair of the Sustainable Agricultural Fund.

On behalf of the entire dairy supply chain, the ADIC congratulated Shirley Harlock on her remarkable achievements, wishing her every success going forward.

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More than 200 of Australia’s leading dairy representatives from across the whole value chain, gathered in Melbourne this morning for the annual Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) Leaders Breakfast.

Centred on the theme “The dairy domino effect: leading healthy, sustainable, profitable communities”, the event explored the interdependent nature of dairy’s future success and building recognition for the industry’s social and economic value.

Guest speaker and rural sociologist, Dr Neil Barr told industry leaders that the decline in farmer populations over the past decade posed no threat to the future of Australian dairy.

“Dairying is the future for young farmers in Australia. The demand for opportunities is there, the industry just needs to work on developing the pathways to get them involved.”

Outgoing ADIC Chair, Noel Campbell highlighted that new opportunities for growth and prosperity brought with them the responsibility to demonstrate dairy’s value to people, the land, livestock and the global community.

“Today we celebrate the enormous contribution Australian dairy makes to economic and social wellbeing; its quality, diversity and the part it plays in building vibrant communities across the country,” Mr Campbell said.

“The extent to which the Australian community understands the story behind the tubs of yoghurt and flavoured milk in their fridges will directly impact their trust and investment in our industry’s future. We need to share our industry’s story with our communities, our consumers and our customers if we are to achieve our 2025 Dairy Vision: prosperous, trusted and world renowned for nutrition.”

“Collectively, dairy demonstrates its value through initiatives such as the Dairy Industry Sustainability Framework, as well as the search for the Legendairy Capital. It is essential that our industry continues to build on such initiatives,” Mr Campbell said.

Guests also heard from a panel including Senator Richard Colbeck, Corangamite Councillor Chris O’Connor, CEO of Bega Cheese Barry Irvin, Co-owner of Myrtleford Butter Factory Naomi Ingleton and Gipps Dairy Director Dr Sinead De Gooyer. The panel considered Australia’s dairy commitment to sustainable practices and ensuring it remains a productive partner with the Australian community.

The overwhelming message from the panel was that as Australia’s number one value-adding agricultural industry dairy has a responsibility to demonstrate its commitment to healthy, sustainable and profitable communities.

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The Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) has welcomed news that the Senate today passed the Bills necessary for the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) to enter the final processes before ratification.

Once entry into force occurs, Australian dairy exporters will experience the first year of tariff reductions for dairy exports to China as agreed under the ChAFTA agreement. This will be followed by a further reduction in tariffs on 1 January 2016.

ADIC Chair, Noel Campbell applauded the support for the ChAFTA, praising Federal Parliament for recognising the importance of swiftly implementing the agreement.

“China is our number one dairy market by volume with 136,441 tonnes of dairy product worth AUD $424 million exported to Greater China in 2014/15. This is 18 per cent of total Australian dairy exports by volume for the calendar year,” 1 Mr Campbell said.

“The ChAFTA places Australia on a more level playing field with key international competitors. Once the agreement enters into force it will enhance the competitive position of Australian dairy. This is good for growth, for jobs, for the economy and a boon for our export market.”

The dairy industry, led by the ADIC, has fought hard for the implementation of ChAFTA and is pleased to see bipartisan support and collaboration for ratifying this important trade agreement.

The ADIC thanked Minister for Trade and Investment, Andrew Robb, and his team of negotiators as well as the Australian government, industry and the broader dairy community for its ongoing support and for working to ratify the deal in the 2015 calendar year.

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The Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) has welcomed news that the Government and Labor Party have reached an accommodation to allow ratification of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) this year.

ADIC Chair, Noel Campbell praised Federal Parliament for recognising the importance of swiftly implementing the agreement to ensure Australia doesn’t fall further behind its competitors who already have an FTA with China.

“It is important the ChAFTA is implemented this year so our industry will be able to take advantage of two tariff cuts in rapid succession. Once the agreement enters into force it will enhance the competitive position of Australian dairy. This is good for growth, for jobs, for the economy and a boon for our export market,” Mr Campbell said.

“This deal is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to grow business and our communities. The Australian dairy industry is particularly well-placed to take advantage of the enormous opportunities that will flow from our historic trade deal with China.”

The dairy industry, led by the ADIC, has fought hard for the implementation of ChAFTA and is pleased to see bipartisan support and collaboration for ratifying this important trade agreement.

The ADIC thanked Minister for Trade and Investment, Andrew Robb, and his team of negotiators as well as the Australian government, industry and the broader dairy community for its ongoing support and for working to ensure that the China FTA is ratified in 2016.

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The Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) has welcomed the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (JSCOT) recommendation that Australia ratify the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) – an agreement that will deliver billions of dollars in additional export value to the Australian economy.

ADIC Chair, Noel Campbell said the deal recognises dairy as one of the nation’s export strongholds and must be ratified as soon as possible to open up markets for Australian dairy producers.

“This is a genuine free trade agreement that when implemented will set Australian dairy products on a path to full trade liberalisation into China,” Mr Campbell said.

“This means more jobs across the industry, both on farm and in processing plants. The flow- on effects of this growth would undoubtedly benefit the rural and regional communities where dairy plays an important role.”

Mr Campbell said that swiftly implementing the agreement will ensure Australia doesn’t fall further behind its competitors who already have a free trade agreement with China.

“Ratifying the agreement before the end of the year will mean that Australian dairy can take advantage of the tariff reduction timeline as of 1 January 2016. Any further delay in the parliamentary process will cost the Australian dairy industry up to $76 million in tariff savings for Australian origin product,” Mr Campbell explained.

“It’s vital that Australia acts quickly to seize the opportunity for early implementation of this agreement. We must get the ball rolling – every day of unnecessary delay holds Australia’s growth and prosperity back.”

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The second annual Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) Dairy Dinner brought together over 100 parliamentarians, advisors, departmental members and industry stakeholders to celebrate Australian dairy’s innovative and dynamic value chain, in Canberra last night.

Centred on the theme of Australian Dairy, Thinking Beyond the Box, the dinner provided an exciting opportunity for parliamentarians and industry to discuss the role innovation plays in helping the industry grow and strengthen.

With more than $2 billion dollars invested in farm science and technologies since 1980, innovation has always been pivotal to boosting dairy’s profitability and productivity.
ADIC Chair, Noel Campbell said that dairy is a dynamic and growing industry, one that more than ever needs to push boundaries.

“As an industry, dairy is working to ensure that the benefits of research, development and extension reach our whole value chain. For every dollar that our industry invests in R,D&E our farmers and processors see three dollars in returns,” Mr Campbell said.

“Increasingly volatile market conditions, where input costs continue to go up and capital for investment is limited mean encouraging uptake of innovative technologies is a challenge. Shared government and industry investment in R,D&E is critical to our success.”

The dinner highlighted the strong connection between Australian dairy and parliament, with key parliamentarians expressing their support for helping dairy stay ahead of the game. Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Barnaby Joyce said the Coalition Government shared the industry’s commitment to innovation as a way of improving dairy farmer productivity and profitability.

“Through our Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper, the Coalition Government is delivering a range of initiatives across a number of key areas to strengthen dairying in Australia such as boosting funding for R&D, biosecurity and water infrastructure, developing more innovative and collaborative business models for farmers and establishing an ACCC Commissioner for Agriculture.

“In addition to the White Paper measures, the conclusion of free trade deals with Korea, Japan and China, as well the recent Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement will help to significantly grow demand for Australian dairy products well into the future,” Minister Joyce said today.

Shadow Minister for Agriculture, the Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon commended the industry on working to progress the Dairy Industry Vision for 2025.

“Dairy is increasingly part of Australia’s economic future and it is great to join so many industry participants who share a vision for a more innovative, efficient, and sustainably profitable sector.”

Leaders in Australian dairy innovation, including CEO of the Dairy Futures CRC, Dr David Nation as well as dairy farmer and 2014 Nuffield Scholar, Aubrey Pellett provided guests with insight into a few key advancements in dairy technology and science.

Guests, including ADIC directors, state farmer representative leaders, executives from dairy’s processors, as well as members of parliament, enjoyed a dairy inspired menu designed to showcase the industry’s dynamic, world-class produce, including this years Grand Dairy Award cheese winners.

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The Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) has acknowledged the completion of negotiations under the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), noting modest but important gains made for the Australian dairy industry in improving access to global markets.

ADIC Chair, Noel Campbell said the industry appreciated the dedication of the Minister for Trade and Investment, the Hon. Andrew Robb MP and his team of negotiators, in continuing to seek trade agreements that benefit the Australian economy.

“On behalf of the Australian dairy industry I would like to extend my thanks to Minister Robb and the Australian negotiators for maintaining strong communication with industry throughout the TPP negotiations. They have done their utmost to balance the competing interest of industry and government across the 12 nations involved throughout a challenging process,” Mr Campbell said.

“The conclusion of the TPP continues a historic period of increased trade liberalisation over the past few years. The ADIC looks forward to reviewing the agreement in its entirety to fully quantify the benefits for dairy but early analysis indicates the TPP will improve opportunities in key export markets including Japan.”

The ADIC remains committed to working with Minister Robb and the Australian government to better trade market access for Australia’s dairy exports.

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Shona McPherson, Media Officer

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The Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) has welcomed the Coalition Government’s delivery of five new Agricultural Counsellors in overseas markets, as a positive step toward addressing non-tariff barriers to trade.

The ADIC has been a strong advocate for increased resources toward overcoming technical barriers to trade in overseas markets and is pleased to see the Government’s acknowledgement of this issue.

A recent report commissioned by Dairy Australia, suggested that if the aggregated sum of all technical barriers to trade imposed by countries importing Australian product were reduced it could benefit global dairy trade by up to $1.57 billion.This amount includes the opportunity costs resulting from having technical barriers to trade in place as well as the potential gains from their removal.

ADIC Chair, Noel Campbell said the announcement of three new positions in Vietnam, Malaysia and the Middle East, as well as additional postings in Bangkok and China, would help the industry make the most of recent trade agreements as well as open up access to emerging markets.

“The appointment of these Counsellors will assist Australian dairy to promote its high quality, safe product in growth markets across South East Asia, the Middle East and of course China where there is growing interest in our products,” Mr Campbell said.

“It is also a positive step toward addressing the vast number of technical barriers to trade in these markets. The extent to which our industry is able to seize opportunities delivered through recently completed and pending trade agreements will depend upon addressing non- tariff barriers.

These Counsellors will help to improve the flow of Australian dairy products to international markets. It will also ensure that Australian dairy farmers can attain a fair price for their product.”

The ADIC looks forward to working with all overseas Counsellors, in conjunction with Government to promote Australian dairy overseas and ensure improved access to key export markets.

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Shona McPherson, Media Officer

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The Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) has welcomed the introduction of the Bills to ratify the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) by the Minister for Trade and Investment, the Hon. Andrew Robb, into the House of Representatives today.

ADIC Chair, Noel Campbell said the Labor party needs to put politics aside to ensure that the deal is ratified as soon as possible.

“I commend Minister Robb for introducing these Bills and urge both sides of Parliament to pass it promptly,” Mr Campbell said.

If the ChAFTA is ratified this year, the dairy industry will see a growth in job creation across the value chain, both on farm and in the processing plants. The ADIC expects that around 600-700 jobs will be created within the first year of ratification. The flow-on effects of this growth would undoubtedly benefit the rural and regional communities where dairy plays an important role.

The Australian dairy industry has fought hard for the ChAFTA, and remains committed to working with both sides of parliament to ensure the deal is ratified before the end of the 2015 calendar year.

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Shona McPherson, Media Officer

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E: media@australiandairyfarmers.com.au