CONTENTS

Project Management

Outcome:  The Project and sub project have been well managed.  As a result, the industry has strengthened its networks, alliances and linkages and started to make significant progress in the South East and Murraylands regions towards industry targets and strategies identified in the updated state strategic plan

Project Activities and Achievements:

• Updated State Strategic Plan for the SA Dairy Industry
  Ridge Partners (Steve Spencer) Appendix 1
  
  The State Dairy Plan has been updated due to the significant change in circumstances facing the national and state dairy industries, following severe drought. The impact of drought has reduced the long-term outlook for milk production not only in SA but also for the national industry, and as a result has changed the likely future needs of processors and manufacturers engaged in the SA dairy industry.
  
  It is necessary to restate and extend the industry’s outlook to 2013 in line with the new planning horizon for exports in the State Food Plan.
  The original plan’s strategies remain relevant, but a number of new initiatives have been added as areas of priority:
  
  Industry Investment
  
  Attract further investment in processing through food manufacturing policy and infrastructure of Government and regions:
  
  Support to protect and enhance the manufacturing investments that have been made.
  Promote the environment for further higher-value investments in innovation and product development.
  Apply resources to maximise industry development opportunities
  Optimise use of the Manager Dairy Plan Implementation (MDPI) role in plan implementation.
  
  Consistency of approach to dairy
  
  The “whole of government” cohesion needs to go much further to embrace the impact of:
  Ongoing reform of water policy.
  The requirements of the EPA.
  Energy pricing and access.
  Ensuring appropriate infrastructure through the supply chain to support the strategic plan (eg. Water, power, roads, transport, shipping).
  Ensuring ongoing investment in knowledge of South East aquifer.
  
  Farm development
  
  Improve co-ordination of functions with stronger promotion of industry capacity.
  Complete promotional package for use interstate and overseas.
  Identify best practice case studies to identify regional potential.
  
  Environment
  
  Increase emphasis on monitoring and managing the environmental impact of dairying.
  
  Innovation
  
  Develop an innovation program for dairy that reflects R&D alignment with objectives and targets in the state dairy plan.
  Facilitate training in skill areas associated with processing and manufacturing activities.
   
• Reports to Project Partners
  Sally Schultz (MDPI)    Appendix 2  
  DAFF Report Sept 04 
  DAFF Report Dec 05
  DAFF Report Jun 05
  Newsletter Dec 04
  Newsletter May 06
   
  A written report to the project partners and major stake-holders in the industry has been provided every three months.  I have used various other methods of keeping project partners updated on the project activities in between the written reports, these methods are outlined below in the communication strategy.
  
• Communication Strategy
  Sally Schultz (MDPI)
  
  The Communication strategy has revolved around five key areas

Media – Print, Radio and Television
As part of the communication strategy for this project, I provided monthly press articles that were printed through various mediums like the Stock Journal,  local papers the Border Watch, Murray Standard and the Naracoorte Herald, the Advertiser, the SA Dairy Association newsletter and the PIRSA Livestock News.  These articles have revolved around communication of the ADP project outcomes and good promotional dairy stories.

I have provided updates on the progress of the ADP project through the Rural Report on ABC radio every two months.  I have also provided various interviews for Country Hour on ABC radio when events have been held, like the effluent launch and field day, the website launch and the release of the new strategic plan targets.
I provided a television interviewed as part of the ABC landline program on the future for dairying in South Australia. 

Email – Dairyweb, SA Dairy Network and Updates
Email has been a useful part of the communication strategy.  South Australia has a relatively small industry and so email is a very effective tool for communication.  Updates, newletters and reports have regularly been emailed to a network of SA dairy industry people on the SA Dairy Service Loop.
Regular updates of the ADP project activities have been provided on the Dairyweb email.  Dairyweb is a national daily email network that reaches over 40,000 dairy industry people.

Presentations- Conferences, Workshops and Boards
I have provided many presentations on the State Strategic Plan implementation, updated plan targets and activities of the ADP project to many different groups throughout South Australia.  These include:
- Regular presentations to Dairy Industry Development Board
- SADA Board
- Dairy SA Board
- PIRSA Executive
- Cross Agency State Government Meeting
- Struan Research Centre
- China Australia Dairy Conference
- Chinese delegates on a SE farm Tour
- Grant District Council
- SA Dairy Innovation Day
- Presentation and hosting of interstate dairy farm visitors on a South East farm tour of the region
- 2004 ABARE Conference
- Dairy Industry of Aust Conference
- Launch of the new Dairy Industry Website  in Murray Bridge
- Presentation and hosting of Minister Rory McEwen on farm and factory tour in Murraylands region
- Launch of the Industry Website in Mt Gambier
- Presentation and hosting of Minister Rory McEwen on farm tour in the Limestone Coast region
- Meningie dairy discussion group
- Presentation to the Mt Gambier dairy discussion group
- Presentation to the organic farmers group
- Dairy Outlook Forum

Website – www.dairyindustrysa.com.au
The new SA dairy industry website has been established and has become an excellent means of communication to all existing dairy farmers and to potential new investors.  The website is being updated monthly and will be developed further to accommodate new information and links to other relevant sites. It will be a key ongoing resource for regional development and investment attraction activities for dairy undertaken through the one- stop- shop processes established in the project.

Reports- to DAFF, DIDB and ADP Steering Committee
Quarterly reports have been prepared for the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry , the Dairy Industry Development Board and the ADP Steering Committee.  These written reports have been a major source of communication to all of the key stakeholders in the ADP project.  They have provided information on how the outcomes were being achieved, my forward work plan and issues that have arisen.  They have given the key stake-holders opportunity throughout the course of this project to provide feedback and to give guidance. 

• ADP Steering Committee    Appendix 4
  Minutes of meeting 26 Oct 04
  Minutes of meeting 8 March 05
  Minutes of meeting 28 April 05
  Minutes of meeting 1 Feb 06
  
  The Steering Committee for the Agricultural Development Partnership Program is made up of: Brenton Higgins (Chair, retired Dec 04) Greg Gilbert (replacement Chair); Sally Schultz (Executive); Tony Morbey; Jeff Wright; Dale Lewis; Grant King; Brenton Lewis; Andrew Stewart, Virginia Ewing and DAFF representative.

The Steering Committee’s role was to provide guidance and direction to the SA Dairy Development project.  The Committee was to ensure that the strategies are producing the required outcomes for the development of the South Australian Dairy Industry in the South East and Murraylands.  The Committee also provide ideas and suggestions and a strong support base for the project in their specific fields of expertise.

The Committee met four times during the project as well as at an initial joint meeting with the Dairy Industry Development Board.  The meetings were held in different regions and included a tour of sites of interest to the project.  The Steering Committee had 12 members as listed above but also sought outside expertise.

The Committee received 4 written updates on the project.  They also received information about any points of particular interest or breaking news as it arose. 

First Steering Committee Meeting – 26th October 2004
The first meeting was held at the Murraylands Regional Development Board.  The meeting was held in the morning and then was followed by a visit and tour of the National Foods Factory in Murray Bridge and then a visit to Andrew Stewart’s farm to look at rehabilitation issues faced along the Murray Swamps. Appendix 4i

Second Steering Committee Meeting – 8th March 2005
This meeting was held in the Old Town Hall at the Limestone Coast Regional Development Board in Mt Gambier.  Once again the meeting was held in the morning and then in the afternoon we met with regional experts relevant to the project.

Carl Smith and Greg Rankin presented on ‘Understanding the Hydrogeology of the SE area and its impact on irrigation, effluent management and nutrient movement’

Ross Curuthers and Gary Spain presented on ‘The impact of conversion to volumetric water metering on SE dairy farmers’.
Appendix 4ii

Third Steering Committee Meeting – 28th April 2005
The third steering committee meeting was held in April at the Water Front Motel in Meningie.  After the morning meeting we again had regional experts present to us:

Kerry Muller – Environmental Risk for Dairy Farmers Environmental Risk Analysis Project, commissioned by the River Murray Catchment Board and National Landcare Program.

Neil Shillabeer – The Water Environment of the Meningie Lakes Area.  Chair of the Meningie Narrung lakes Irrigators and on Board of SA Murray Irrigation
Appendix 4iii  

Fourth Steering Committee Meeting – 1st February 2006
The fourth steering committee meeting was held on the 1st February 2006 in Adelaide.  Michelle Baird and Maryanne Western from Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries attended the meeting to see the steering committee in action.  Maryanne Western commented on how well the steering committee worked together and how effective the meeting was. The meeting involved a robust discussion around what needed to be done and how to spend the funds in the final months of the ADP project.
Appendix 4iv

It is intended that the ADP Steering Committee will continue as an advisory group for the next 12 months of this project which will be funded by the State Government.

• Financial Reports      
  
  Quarterly DAFF acquittals have been provided throughout the last twelve months with details of the ADP project expenditure.  Attached is a full financial analysis in Appendix 5.  Below is a summary of the budget and expenditure.  All funds for this project were spent according to budget.

• Independent Evaluation
  Kerry Medlow       Appendix 6
  
  The independent evaluation of the ADP project is being done by Kerry Medlow.  It will be completed by 15th July 2006.  The evaluation brief is included in the appendices.  The report will provide:

Independent Evaluation of Agricultural Development Partnership Project

Assessment of the achievement of performance targets and outcomes for each of the five strategies of the ADP project

Details of the short and long term benefits of the ADP Project to the industry