Completed Round 1 Projects

DAFF Project No:

AAA053

Start Date:

July 01

Finish Date:

June 03

Project Contact:

Yvon Wigley

Organisation:

Queensland Rural Industry Training Council

Phone:

(07) 3238 4800

Fax:

(07) 3238 4850

Email:

reception@qritc.org.au

Website:

www.aglink.ruralscopegroups.com 

Objectives:

This Project is to design, develop and pilot an innovative leadership learning program for youth in agriculture in Queensland, the Northern Territory, South Australia, Western Australia and New South Wales ('AgLink program').

The AgLink program will provide access for youth in agriculture to high level training, focussing on the development of leadership and business management skills such as supply chain management, relationship marketing, interpreting market signals, change management.

The AgLink program will provide an opportunity for youth in Agriculture to develop the required knowledge, skills and commitment to take up leadership roles within their sector and industry. It will establish a network of youth in agriculture with leadership and commitment capabilities to enhance the sustainability and growth of Australia’s agricultural industries.

Project Details:

Network was developed of young business leaders (aged between 21 years and 35 years) in Agriculture in Qld, NT, NSW, WA and SA and recognition was sought across agricultural industries regarding the valuable contribution youth can make to now and the future

A program was developed to enhance the knowledge, skills and confidence for young people to nominate for and take up agricultural leadership, including roles on industry boards and committees.

The program provided an innovative action learning experience accessible to all rural youth but especially those whose access to these types of programs may be limited by isolation and / or distance.

The program is flexible and innovative, able to be customised to meet the needs of participants with the majority of participants and targeted industry organisations supportive of the AgLink program.

DAFF Project No:

AAA003

Start Date:

July 2001

Finish Date:

August 2003

Project Contact:

Jacinta Poole

Organisation:

CSIRO

Phone:

(03) 9545 2103

Fax:

Email:

jacinta.poole@csiro.au

Website:

http://www.tft.csiro.au (Leather Research Centre) (external link)

Objectives:

Design a training course detailing:

1. The need for maximising quality and international competitiveness
2. The most common faults in kangaroo skins
3. Use of recommended procedures and methods designed to reduce the occurrence of faults.

This covers skinning methods for quality and correct shape and faults that result from poor preservation and handling techniques.

Project Details:

A training program of 5 modules was developed. The modules are:

1. Kangaroo leather and leather processing
2. Skin preservation and handling
3. Most common faults in kangaroo leather
4. Bad preservation and handling techniques
5. Guidelines for skinning and dressing kangaroos.

As an adjunct to the modules, two more detailed documents were also developed.

Appendix 1: Preservation of skins for harvesters and box operators

Appendix 2: General information for chilling skins for meat processors and skin dealers

DAFF Project No:

AAA027B

Start Date:

May 2001

Finish Date:

February 2004

Project Contact:

Roderick Glass and David Johnston

Organisation:

Rural Business Systems

Phone:

(07) 4697 2265

Fax:

(07) 4697 2266

Email:

david.johnston@ozemail.com.au

Website:

Objectives:

Project Details:

Industry priorities for strategic planning for marketing groups (from the industry strategic plans) were collected and collated to determine needs.

The following stages were then developed and each component tested:

1. a course plan;
2. workshop agendas
3. a training package; and
4. assessment materials.

A program of workshops covering aspects identified in research and respond to needs of horticultural businesses were developed and endorsement was sought by an Industry Training Advisory Board such as the Queensland Rural Industry Training Council. 

DAFF Project No:

AAA007

Start Date:

June 2001

Finish Date:

October 2003

Project Contact:

Stephen Ware

Organisation:

Australian Honeybee Industry Council

Phone:

(02) 9247 1180

Fax:

(02) 9247 1192

Email:

ahbic@honeybee.org.au

Website:

www.honeybee.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48 (external link)

Objectives:

Review existing food safety plans and develop a national, HACCP based template, Industry Food Safety Plan for the Australian honey industry

Develop an auditable Biosecurity Plan for the Australian honey industry

Australian Honey Quality Standard Manual: review existing literature and develop Quality Assurance (HACCP based) templates to assist with the writing of a quality manual covering Organic Standards, Pollination Standards, Queen Bee Standards and Packer Standards for honey production. The QA Templates will assist beekeepers in developing an auditable QA system.

Review existing literature and write Training Material for (honey) industry facilitators to assist in delivery of honey industry workshops to train and accredit Australian beekeepers in QA.

Review existing literature and write an Auditor (Training) Manual for honey industry auditors.

ProfessionalWorkshop: National facilitator/auditor training workshop.

Training and Audit delivery

Project Details:

Industry documentation was developed including:

• food safety plan;
• biosecurity plan;
• Australian Honey Quality Standard (AHQS) Manual; and
• Audit (Training) Manual.

These have been accepted by industry participants and government bodies including Animal Health Australia (biosecurity plan), Food Standards Australia New Zealand (food safety plan) and Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (quality standards).

15 pilot training courses around Australia were conducted as per the agreement. Due to the high demand for training, additional courses were organised in conjunction with State FarmBis authorities to split courses so as to reduce travelling costs and enable increased participation.

DAFF Project No:

AAA044

Start Date:

June 2001

Finish Date:

June 2004

Project Contact:

Jill Rigney

Organisation:

Resource Consulting Services

Phone:

(07) 3869 3044

Fax:

(07) 3869 3066

Email:

jrigney@rcs.au.com

Website:

Objectives:

The project is designed to instil a farm business ethic within the Queensland and NSW sugar cane industrythrough the development of “bridging tools” to attract more growers into the higher level farm business management programs already established.

Innovative business diagnostic tools will be developed that are appropriate to encourage uptake of business management principles (ie are "bridging tools") specific to the sugar industry and user friendly.

Project Details:

Business diagnostic tools were developed and market tested by a select group of cane growers in different geographical regions, including Wet Tropics, Central and Southern Rainfed.

Six training modules were developed for the six priority areas and the training modules were tested in at least two of the main geographical regions identified above.

A series of relationships was established with accountants to provide overview/awareness workshops to grower groups in Queensland and New South Wales. In addition a suitable and sustainable delivery network alliance was developed to ensure uptake and use of the diagnostic tools continues after the cessation of this Project (eg. Future Profit, TAFE, Accountants)

The opinions of key stakeholders, such as canegrower organisations, accountants and environmental groups were collated and analysed.

DAFF Project No:

AAA063

Start Date:

June 2001

Finish Date:

October 2002

Project Contact:

John Larson

Organisation:

Agrica and MacKinnon Project

Phone:

(03) 9731 2225

Fax:

(03) 9731 2388

Email:

j.larson@vet.unimelb.edu.au

Website:

www.paddock.com.au (external link)

Objectives:

Improve farm management, profitability and sustainability by providing producers with the software tools to assist them in the design, prioritisation, implementation and monitoring of strategies that will improve their businesses.

Develop a website, which incorporates programs to monitor farm performance, manage price risk and improve farm productivity.

Improve the skills of farm service providers by providing access to web-based software tools and farm production data that will enable them to provide improved and relevant advice to their client base.

Project Details:

A joint initiative between leading agricultural consultancy firms, Agrica and The Mackinnon Project, the project developed a website (www.paddock.com.au) where farmers could access information, spreadsheets and programs to help increase farm productivity and profitability.

The website contains a wide range of decision support tools for farmers, including simple information packages available for free, through to detailed packages available on a subscription-only basis.

DAFF Project No:

AAA021

Start Date:

July 2001

Finish Date:

May 2003

Project Contact:

Michael Tokley

Organisation:

Abalone Industry Association of SA

Phone:

(08) 8270 6674

Fax:

(08) 8358 5681

Email:

abaloneSA@esc.net.au

Website:

Objectives:

Conduct Business Needs Analysis (BNA) of abalone industry participants for each State’s abalone industry. This will be through the analysis of responses to a survey questionnaire that will include areas such as negotiation skills, letter and report writing, administration and management skills. Expert consultants will be employed to design appropriate survey questionnaire.

BNA Report: identify business needs and skills shortages in abalone industry participants in each State.

Formulation of a National Strategy or Plan to ensure appropriate courses are available and designed to enhance learning and business skills for abalone industry participants.

Project Details:

A Business Needs Analysis (BNA) of abalone industry participants for each State’s abalone industry was conducted via a survey questionnaire. The questionnaire was sent to Australian abalone industry members and sought information on areas such as negotiation skills, letter and report writing, administration and management skills.

A BNA Report was produced identifying business needs and skills shortages in abalone industry participants in each State. The survey covered approximately 80% of the people involved in the abalone industry across Australia.

A National Program was created to improve the business skills in Australian Abalone Industries. The courses outlined within this program are mainly focussed on business skills and do not apply to the basic skills required for the daily operations involved in abalone harvesting, transporting or processing. Rather this National Program aims to enhance the manner in which people manage the business aspect of abalone industries

Currently the Australian Abalone Industry is attempting to instigate a National Training Package and is negotiating with the Seafood Training Authority and the Australian National Training Authority to have components of the National Program incorporated into the Seafood Training competency standards for diving and in particular, for the Australian abalone industry.

DAFF Project No:

AAA057

Start Date:

June 2001

Finish Date:

June 2004

Project Contact:

Stephen McCarthy

Organisation:

Indigenous Land Corporation

Phone:

(08) 8216 4100

Fax:

(08) 8212 0197

Email:

stephen.mccarthy@ilc.gov.au

Website:

www.ilc.gov.au (external link)

Objectives:

The aim of the EETS program was to develop an integrated, nationally accredited training system that would support Indigenous land owners in maximising the benefits they aspire to achieve from their land and equip them with the skills and knowledge to enhance the land base on which they operate. The funding provided under FarmBis Australia assisted in the development, implementation and evaluation of several pilot projects on Indigenous-managed properties, including

• Integrated personal development training
• Traineeships
• Managers training
• Directors training.

Project Details:

The project implemented a ‘proof of concept’ trial that trialled a level of training at separate properties and, on the basis of this trial, attempted implementation of 6 pilot projects at various national locations.

The project also enabled development of a set of learning guides and assessment projects for the Business Services Corporate Governance (Indigenous) training package.

DAFF Project No:

AAA025

Start Date:

June 2001

Finish Date:

March 2004

Project Contact:

Jan Fitzgerald

Organisation:

Australian Women in Agriculture

Phone:

(07) 4667 4136

Fax:

(07) 4667 4236

Email:

admin@awia.org.au

Website:

http://www.awia.org.au (external link)

Objectives:

Establish and coordinate a staged national leadership and learning program (National Learning Network). This will assist members of Australian Women in Agriculture (AWiA) to develop advanced skills to enable them to more actively contribute to and take up leadership opportunities in their agricultural enterprise/business and agricultural industries.

Project Details:

7 industry reference groups have been established in the following areas:

1. Beef
2. Grains
3. Healthy Communities
4. Horticulture
5. International Issues
6. Natural Resource Management
7. Sheep and Wool

A number of projects, workshops and ongoing learning activities have arisen out of the establishment of the reference groups, continuing the objectives of the National Learning Network.

DAFF Project No:

AAA051

Start Date:

August 2001

Finish Date:

February 2003

Project Contact:

Martin Smallridge

Organisation:

Seafood Council

Phone:

(08) 8357 8545

Fax:

(08) 8272 7767

Email:

martin.smallridge@seafoodsa.com

Website:

http://www.seafoodsa.com.au (external link)

Objectives:

1. To increase the number of individuals who are able to participate in formal industry structures and committees at a local and state level
2. To develop a core group of individuals who are able to represent the industry at a local and state level
3. To ensure that changes are sustainable through implementation of structural change within the industry to enable ongoing participation of industry members through succession planning and skills audit strategies

To ensure that the process of increasing leadership capacity is seamless, through involvement of all levels of industry across sectors and states and including both industry and government personnel.

Project Details:

A 6 month Leadership Development Program was developed to assist in enhancing the leadership capability of the Australian seafood industry. The course, designed around adult learning principles, had three key components:

1. Skill development
2. Information provision
3. Expansion of networks.

Each participant was assisted through the course by an industry mentor.

At least 30% of the course participants have since gone on to hold formal decision-making positions within the Australian seafood industry.

The “Advance In Leadership Development Program” has also been customised for the Dairy industry with discussions also held with several other industries.