Terms of Reference
IEG Terms of Reference
The Government is committed to reform of Australia’s wheat marketing arrangements. It detailed its wheat marketing policy during the recent election campaign in Australian Wheat Export Marketing and Labor’s Plan for Primary Industries. The Export Wheat Commission (EWC) will be replaced with a new body, Wheat Exports Australia (WEA), which will manage bulk wheat exports by administering a new export accreditation scheme.
The policy includes the establishment of an expert group to advise on the delivery of industry development functions under the new arrangements.
Collectively, the industry benefits from a number of industry development functions such as strategic planning, research and development, quality assurance and varietal development, industry receival standards, industry training and generic promotion. Historically, the provision of many of these functions has been by the single desk operator, AWB (International) Ltd. The proposed changes mean AWB (International) Ltd will not have a monopoly on wheat exports and there is a need to review the delivery of, and funding for, industry development functions.
The IEG will advise on the delivery of industry development functions under the new arrangements.
The IEG will:
- identify the essential industry development functions
- describe how these functions are currently delivered
- detail options for delivery and funding of these functions under the new arrangements
- prepare a discussion paper on the provision and transition of wheat industry development functions
- make this discussion paper publicly available and invite and consider responses to the paper
- provide advice to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry on the provision of wheat industry development functions under the new wheat marketing arrangements and appropriate transition mechanisms.
The IEG will also provide comments on the draft wheat marketing legislation in relation to industry development functions when it is released publicly.
The IEG will circulate its discussion paper by no later than 20 March 2008 and provide its final report to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry by no later than 24 April 2008.
The IEG will meet as necessary to deliver on required outputs. It will be supported by a secretariat provided by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.