Whether you farm near Tamworth, Orange, Gunnedah, Nyngan, Dubbo, Goulburn Wagga, Griffith, Lismore, Coffs Harbour, Bega, Deniliquin, Bourke or Moree, 2012 will bring challenges and opportunities for farmers across NSW.
For our Association, NSW Farmers, 2012 will also be a year of great opportunities as we bring our new business strategy to life over the next 12 months and beyond.
This year, marks the Year of the Farmer, and we are proud to support the event that will showcase our industry. We hope to capitalise on the proposed media coverage about our industry and will work to ensure farmers across NSW see the value of being a member of NSW Farmers, to ensure they have a successful and sustainable business.
Across the state, members will see changes to their Association as we strive to deliver the results many have been asking for.
Prioritising our issues and the policy that comes from these issues is going to be very important, as well as communicating more often to local branches and District Councils about what the Association is doing for members and agriculture in NSW will be a key driver for 2012.
The changes to the organisation staff structure provides an opportunity to now review our elected structure and ensure we have a structure that will assist in the delivery of future aspirations and goals of the Association, in order to best represent our members.
Over the next few weeks though, we will continue a focus on the Murray Darling Basin Plan (MDBP) by working with members to lobby the Government to deliver a balanced Plan.
We have welcomed the NSW Government’s strong statements about the Plan, and will be working with them to ensure the needs of our members are met.
NSW Farmers will continue to pursue opportunities for farmers under the Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI), with a clear eye on any risks involved.
There will be both costs and benefits to farmers who choose to be involved in the CFI, or other initiatives associated with the Clean Energy Future legislation. Ensuring our members have an objective source of information on those costs and benefits is crucial.
The heavy rain in recent weeks will contribute to weed and pest animal incursions across much of the state, exacerbating an already problematic situation.
We will continue to push for more effective weed and pest animal strategies, and appropriate levels of funding to match.
On the native vegetation front, NSW Farmers will be pushing hard in the current regulation review – but we will not stop there. We need to see an Act that applies a triple bottom line test to broad scale clearing proposals, not the nonsense of protecting single plants we have now.
As we did in 2011, our efforts will continue in the mining/CSG area, to see a system that protects our water resources. NSW farmers will be making sure there is meaningful protection of strategic agricultural land and helping members get involved in development of their regional plans.
So when you look at your membership renewal form this January, we would ask you to support the organisation that supports your business.
Finally, we would like to wish all farmers a happy and prosperous 2012. May this year bring the good season we are all looking for.
Story: Matt Brand (CEO) and Fiona Simson (President) NSW Farmers Association
