Storm and Flood Industry Recovery Program

a Industry leadership and industry response 

A framework and industry structure will be created to ensure there is better coordination of roles, responsibilities and information sharing across government, industry, and communities to improve dairy sector response to natural disasters.

b Farmer emergency response

Develop a repository of best-practice emergency response resources and generate a number of case studies to guide and assist farmers with decision making.

These projects are led by the NSW Department of Primary Industries. Please contact zita.ritchie@dpi.nsw.gov.au for more information. 

a Natural disaster vulnerability and risk assessment

This project will provide an understanding of the vulnerabilities under future climate conditions and the opportunities for adaptation and preparedness against natural disaster and biosecurity incursions. It will highlight regions at risk but also future suitability of new regions for possible development.

b Risk factors and mitigation strategies

This project will create a best practice framework and an easy-to-follow method of identifying areas of risk on farm and mitigation strategies to reduce these risks to ensure business continuity. This will be supported through coaching, mentoring and group discussion.

c Infrastructure, utilities and housing

This project will identify and prioritise critical infrastructure and utilities constraining basic business functions, growth, and development by collaborating with government and non-government sectors and preparing a report for the NSW Government. This report will also assist in prioritising future upgrades to support the dairy supply chain and the challenges to provide housing for a suitable labour pool.

d Animal and feedbase resilience

This project will explore the impacts of natural disasterson soil, feedbase and animals to help inform and develop strategies that reduce impacts of climate variability (ultimately increasing the occurrence and severity of natural disasters) and ensure greater productivity, sustainability, and preparedness.

These projects are led by the NSW Department of Primary Industries, Scibus, NSW Farmers, and The University of Sydney. Please contact amanda.britton@dpi.nsw.gov.au for more information. 

a Leadership development
This project will disseminate leadership training to groups and individuals across the whole supply chain with the potential and interest to effectively lead, support and empower those around them. Through coaching, mentoring, personal and professional development opportunities, this project will identify and acquire the next generation of leaders that will shape a more connected industry equipped to quickly respond and recover from challenges.

b Workforce attraction and retention 

Through research and strategy, we will explore what communications and activities are required to engage a pool of new, future employees into the industry. This project will also provide insight into the long-term retention of engaged staff through incentives, career development opportunities, training and ultimately
creating a stable, healthy workplace culture.

c New entrant support and succession planning

This project will highlight pathways for new entrants to the industry, helping them to progress and establish successful farm businesses resulting in eventual ownership of dairy farms. This will make it easier to attract new investment and labour to the industry, address post-storm and flood recovery issues of lack of retention of dairy farmers, and ensure the sustainability of a long-term pool of future industry leaders. 

d Supporting excellence in service provision

The project will identify gaps in service provisions across the state through initiatives highlighting opportunity for existing industry service providers, upskilling new and current service providers and  engaging service providers of adjacent industries to form a more cohesive integration of service providers across multiple organisations and industries dedicated to helping dairy farmers during challenges including adverse or extreme weather events.

e Supporting farm business feeding system decision making

This project will develop a tool that will guide, assess, and inform on-farm investments, and review current environmental management guidelines. This easy-touse resource will contribute to a more resilient industry by reducing overspend and risk to the individual dairy farmer, as well as ensuring their adherence to environmental protection compliance regulations and protocols. 

f Promote the ongoing value of the dairy industry

This project will focus on communicating the value and raising the profile of the NSW Dairy Industry by connecting key organisations and appropriate media channels through inbound and outbound communication methodologies to produce effective engagement campaigns. We will boost the public’s confidence and trust in the brand and reputation of industry resulting in an increase in consumption, attracting and retaining new labour and encourage investors to the sector securing long term sustainability of the industry.

These projects are led by Dairy Australia and Dairy NSW. Please contact Carly.Potts@dairyaustralia.com.au for more information.