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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-05-31 Daily Xml
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GRAIN INDUSTRY FUND

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (14:55): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries a question regarding the new grain industry fund.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: Meetings will be held next week at Crystal Brook, Karoonda, Keith, Maitland, Tumby Bay and Wudinna to allow farmers to have their say on how the new grain industry fund scheme will be spent and to develop a five-year management plan for the scheme. The state government has hired Mr Neil Howells of Hudson Howells to act as an independent consultant and to conduct these meetings. My questions are:

1. Will the minister indicate whether levy funds are being used to fund these meetings and also to fund Mr Neil Howells' consultant fees?

2. Will the minister provide the complete terms of reference Mr Neil Howells is being provided with to conduct this consultation around the five-year management plan?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the Status of Women) (14:56): I thank the honourable member for his most important question. There has been considerable work and effort put into the development of the new grains PIF Scheme, which I established to replace SAFF's Grains Section Fund that had been established by the Wheat Marketing Act. As members would be well aware, the new scheme I put in place is a voluntary scheme and will be established under the Primary Industry Funding Scheme Act. Grain grower organisations will be able to apply for funds from the scheme to provide services to grain growers in accordance with the five-year management plan.

As I have said in this place before, the management plan for the new scheme will be drafted by a consultant following extensive consultation with grain growers and the industry. As the Hon. John Dawkins indicates, the independent consultant is Neil Howells, and he has been appointed by PIRSA for the purposes of drafting the management plan, and a series of grains meetings will be conducted over the first week of June. However, growers are able not only to attend meetings but also make submissions via the online website.

The grain industry organisations, including SAFF, the Grain Industry Association of South Australia and the Advisory Board of Agriculture, will all be invited to participate in that consultation. The five-year management plan will be reviewed and updated annually via a consultative process. I have been advised that the five-year management plan will cover things like the type of activities that may be funded; how an organisation may access the fund; how applications for projects will be assessed (which may be by a committee and, if so, how the committee will be formed); management of contingencies, including grain grower funds; reporting requirements for projects funded under the scheme; and the level and format of consultation that grain growers consider appropriate for the required annual revisions of the management plan.

I understand that the plan is expected to be completed by the end of June and presented at a public meeting held for that purpose in accordance with the provisions of the primary industry fund. The residual funds in the Wheat Marketing Act Grains Section Fund will be applied in accordance with the intent of the act for the benefit of grain growers who have contributed to the scheme. My understanding is that the funding of the consultant is being absorbed from within PIRSA, but I will double check that. I believe that is to be so. I understand that the expenses around the consultant's fee and the cost of the consultation are being absorbed by PIRSA but, if upon checking I find that not to be so, I will make sure that that is returned to this chamber and incorporated into Hansard.

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