February 1, 2017
A new “agricultural network” in the South Burnett aims to come up with new ideas for improving the lives of local primary producers
The Burnett Inland Economic Development Organisation (BIEDO) organised the meeting of councillors, AgForce representatives and other agriculture stakeholders at the old Wondai Council Chambers on Tuesday.
“The purpose of the meeting was to discuss holding a network gathering on a regular basis to share information, encourage collaboration and talk about challenges and opportunities within this very important South Burnett industry,” BIEDO CEO Kristy Frahm said.
“Many thanks to Mayor Keith Campbell for chairing the meeting. ”
Mayor Campbell told southburnett.com.au he believed a community agriculture network could work in well with other initiatives in the area.
Deputy Mayor Kathy Duff said the meeting discussed ways to network, share ideas, identify gaps and “in some cases maybe pool resources to get better outcomes for agriculture”.
“An example we have identified (is) that in the floods there was a lack of data on the quantity and types of crops affected and economic loss when we were arguing for government support,” Cr Duff said.
“We have formed a working group to work out a good system to have that type of data on hand.”
The South Burnett Community Agriculture Network plans to meet quarterly to provide an opportunity for stakeholders in agriculture from across the region to come together and share information, opportunities and challenges.
“It will also encourage networking, collaboration and communication within the agricultural sector on which our communities and businesses rely so heavily,” Ms Frahm said.
Rural Financial Counsellor Alan Broome shared his insights and experiences gained during years of assisting primary producers in times of both drought and floods, and highlighted the importance of having vital data and statistics available when the need arises.
Prof Jim Cavaye, from the University of Southern Queensland, spoke about the benefits of having updated metrics, not only in times of disaster, but also as valuable information to assist in maximising opportunities for the South Burnett region in the future. He would assist a working group to plan a process for gathering and updating relevant data.
Agforce South-East Queensland Committee president Carolyn Stone said it had been an excellent meeting for agriculture.
Ms Frahm said The South Burnett Community Agriculture Network welcomed input from interested parties who could contact her anytime by email
