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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-05-03 Daily Xml
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2BHERD

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (15:13): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries a question about the 2BHerd event.

Leave granted.

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: In many industries women often face hurdles or barriers to taking on leadership roles. I understand that the dairy industry has taken steps to assist women with advancing their leadership skills. Will the minister tell the chamber more about this program?

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) (15:13): I was delighted to attend this event, both in my capacity as Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries and also as Minister for the Status of Women. I would just like to outline to members the role of the 2BHerd program. 2BHerd is a program delivered by DairySA, which has an important focus on women's leadership. Obviously, these are issues which I am passionate about.

2BHerd is a wonderful program which brings women in the dairy industry together. I am sure members would be aware of my ongoing view that mentoring, support and conversations between women in industry can have very positive outcomes. Sharing knowledge, experience and networks is a strength that I think women have, and I would encourage them to build on those. The 2BHerd leadership development program is an excellent example of women working together to support and develop one another.

From December 2011 to April this year, the program provided eight dairy women across the state with the skills needed to actively and productively participate in dairy industry committees, boards and projects with confidence. I understand that, throughout the 2BHerd development program, participants were coached on how to be involved in industry leadership.

These women participated in a series of advanced communication, governance and confidence building workshops and training sessions. Other learning experiences included a networking dinner in December where participants practised their newly developed networking skills which, I am sure, they also utilised at the closing function that I was very fortunate to be able to attend.

The Hon. R.L. Brokenshire: I was there too—very good.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Yes, I was very pleased to see the Hon. Robert Brokenshire at that event as well, lending support as always. This program also offered a series of webinars which, if members are not aware, are online seminars, on a variety of topics including presentation skills and strategic planning.

Of course, we know that it is so often true that, while women have the skills they need to progress in their chosen industries, they can lack confidence in their own abilities. I have every confidence that programs like these will illustrate to participants that they are much more skilled than they think they are, whilst also teaching new skills.

Also at the event of the 2BHerd launch was a booklet that detailed experiences of the women who participated in the program. I had the opportunity to talk to the program's participants at the April event and was incredibly impressed with their enthusiasm and their hard work. They each did a presentation that was very impressive.

Many women in regional areas have overcome very difficult circumstances, such as droughts and floods, and have remained passionate about their work and their industry. The 2BHerd participants are indeed passionate women. They come from across our wonderful state—from Mount Gambier and the Fleurieu—but they all shared the same enthusiasm for and dedication to the industry. I am sure that these women will continue their hard work, not only for the industry but also to develop themselves and their skills into the future.

I would also like to congratulate DairySA for their really hard work and enthusiasm for putting the program together and it was delightful to be able to see this shine through the participants. The participants included:

Annalee Wallace from Mount Gambier, who was working at a Donovan's dairy while undertaking the program and is now an agricultural lecturer;

Jo Saunders, who co-manages their farm in the Lower South-East;

Kate Bartlett, from the Jervois Irrigation District, who, with her husband, runs a pasture feed-based farm with flood irrigation;

Mandy Balmer, from the Fleurieu Peninsula, who works as a herd manager on a dryland dairy farm;

Mandy Pacitti, who owns a pasture-based dairy property on the Fleurieu Peninsula;

Melanie Treloar, who went from being an airline industry worker to working on the family farm at Meningie;

Rebecca Middleton, who works on a dairy farm in the Mount Gambier region; and

Rebekah McCaul, who is a marketing manager on the family farm on the Fleurieu Peninsula.

They were a group of marvellous, really inspirational women and I wish them all the very best in their future endeavours.

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