Sugar Industry Reform Program 2004 (SIRP)
The Australian Government acknowedges the importance of the Australian sugar industry to the economies of rural and regional centres.
The Government and industry agreed, in a Statement of Intent, on a comprehensive range of measures to help the industry reform.
- Reform of the Australian Sugar Industry - Statement of Intent
PDF [64kb] signed by industry leaders.
The industry committed to actively pursue long term economic, social and environmental sustainability by undertaking structural change, rationalisation and restructuring, and to investigate diversification, value adding and alternative use of sugar cane land. This commitment was undertaken to better position the industry’s future.
The Sugar Industry Reform Program 2004 built on the 2002 program, and responded to the sugar industry’s commitment to support and promote comprehensive reform and restructure. It provided up to $444 million for a range of measures to assist the Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australian sugar industries.
The components of the Sugar Industry Reform program were:
- Sustainability Grant
- Income Support (including business planning for income support recipients)
- Business Planning (growers and harvesters)
- Business Planning (mills) (Guidelines and Application form available)
- Re-establishment Grants
- Retraining
- Grower Restructuring Grants
- Crisis Counselling
- Intergenerational Transfer
All the above elements have now been finalised (30th June 2008), however several projects under the Regional and Community Projects component will continue to completion by 30 June 2009.
Industry Oversight Group
An Industry Oversight Group was appointed by the government to oversee progress on the implementation of sugar industry reform, including refinement of reform priorities, developing a strategic industry vision and aligning regional plans with the industry vision.
For further information about the Industry Oversight Group can be obtained from:
- Fact sheet PDF [95kb]
- Strategic Industry Vision PDF [95kb]
Hard copies of the Strategic Industry Vision may be obtained from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry on freecall 1800 098 071 or email Sugar Projects
Regional Advisory Groups
The Australian Government worked with Regional Advisory Groups to drive local reforms. In appointing these groups, the government ensured that existing industry initiatives were built on and augmented as necessary. Regional Advisory Groups consist of local sugar industry and community representatives. They’re responsibilities include identifying the industry’s key challenges and the most appropriate solutions, which reflect each region’s unique circumstances within an overall industry strategic framework.
The Australian Government's Sugar Executive Officers (SEOs) worked closely with Regional Advisory Groups in developing and implementing reform plans for the local industry. This included planning the region’s sustainable future, and preparing a strategy to achieve the necessary outcomes.
Regional Advisory Groups also worked closely with the Industry Oversight Group to provide initial advice on Regional and Community Project proposals.
- Download the Regional Advisory Groups Fact Sheet PDF [95kb]
Media releases and speeches by former Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries can be located at Pandora - Australia's Web Archive.
Regional and Community Projects
The $75 million Regional and Community Projects program was an Australian Government initiative to help the sugar industry and/or its dependant communities by providing funding for a range of regionally based targeted projects that would assist the medium and longer term sustainability of the sugar regions.
The majority of Regional and Community Projects were finalised by 30 June 2008. There are several residual projects that will be completed by 30 June 2009.
Previous Rounds of Regional and Community Projects
R3SOU03 – Australian Sugarcane Feeds Pty Ltd: On 31 December 2008 the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry approved a grant of up to $1,100,660 (GST inclusive) to help complete the construction of the factory that manufactures stock feed from sugar cane, referred to as 'CowCandy'. The project is to be completed by 30 May 2009.
Media releases and speeches by former Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries can be located at Pandora - Australia's Web Archive.
