the northern dairyfarmer -...

THE HEAD of the UnitedKingdom’s largest dairy repre-sentative group, Dairy UK, visit-ed Queensland farms recently toexplain first-hand the impact ofsupermarket pricing strategies ondairy farm bottom lines.

Director-General of DairyUK, Jim Begg, toured farms withthe Queensland Dairyfarmers’Organisation (QDO) before visit-ing farms in southern States.

QDO president BrianTessmann said European andUnited Kingdom dairyfarmerswere facing an unsustainablecost squeeze from major super-markets, just as was currentlyhappening in Australia with theColes-led $1-a-litre milk dis-counting.

“The cut-throat milk priceslashing led by Wesfarmers-owned Coles is unsustainable

here, just as farmers overseashave said similar cuts are unsus-tainable,” Mr Tessmann said.

“Good UK farmers have goneunder and left the industry due tothe tactics of the supermarketsthere. Farmers and consumers endup being worse off as retailerssqueeze the supply chain andincrease the market share of super-market home-brand products.”

Mr Tessmann said there werereal messages for consumers thatcould be drawn from the shop-ping experience in Europe.

“If you’re buying milk inparts of Europe, you need asearch party or the CIA to findfresh milk,” Mr Tessmann said.

“The average consumer isstranded if they’re looking forfresh milk for their Cornflakes incountries like Spain andBelgium.

“In parts of the UK, brandedmilk is almost as rare and hasbeen forced from prominence insupermarket fridges by retailgiants such as Tesco. Coles isusing similar tactics here inAustralia.

“Australian consumers need tobe aware that the current price warhere is having the same genesis asthe current problems confrontingEuropean dairy producers.”

The Northern

DairyfarmerAUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2011

■ Qld dairyconfidence hit forsix

PAGE 4

■ Strategicfarmland needsprotection

PAGE 8

■ Irrigators sluggedwith higher prices

PAGE 10

■ QDO conferenceSeptember 13-14

PAGE 12

■ Making the mostof water

PAGE 20

■ Reducinglameness on yourfarm

PAGE 21

■

INSIDEOS experience highlightssupermarket tacticsKEY POINTS■ Supermarket

discounting followsEuropean trend

■ Fresh milkunavailable inmany parts ofEurope

■ Supermarket giantTesco sets price inUK

■ Continued on p4

About 70 farmers gathered at Wally Holcombe's farm toprotest the impact of the retail milk war.

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THE NORTHERN DAIRYFARMER August/September 2011

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ONCE again it has been a busy few months at Queensland Dairyfarmers’ Organisation(QDO). Since the last issue of The Northern Dairyfarmer, Australian Dairy Farmers (ADF)and QDO have been continuing the fight to stop the unsustainable pricing of fresh milk bymajor supermarkets, which was initiated by Coles on Australia Day.

Work is continuing in a bid to keep the issue alive at a political level, seeking to raise theprofile of this issue, educate politicians, correct misinformation still being presented by Colesrepresentatives and ‘one eyed’ commentators, and gain support for the proposed solutions andrecommendations we have developed and presented to government.

There is strong support from politicians across the political spectrum and with this we are con-tinuing to pursue recommended solutions to the problem. Many meetings have been held with keyFederal politicians. Numerous state Members of Parliament and Ministers, particularly those indairy areas, have also been confronted with this critical issue for our industry. We have also heldmeetings with processor and retail representatives to present what is needed at farm level.

The key Federal independents and the Greens, who have held the balance of power in theSenate since July 1, have shown strong support for dairyfarmers on this issue.

On other issues, the proposal to restructure ADF has changed direction. A key stakehold-er group in any reform model is dairy processors, and although they remain strongly support-ive of a reformed national representation structure for ADF, some processors have recentlyexpressed their views that they did not support all of the detail related to the original proposedrestructure model. The major processors have agreed to work with ADF and discuss the prin-ciples and framework of a revised model, including the parameters upon which processorfunding could be contributed to support the process. We will continue to keep you informed.

Meanwhile, the rural media spotlight has been firmly focused on the suspension of live cat-tle exports to Indonesia, which has served as a reminder to all rural industries that they can beat the mercy of impromptu and ill-informed political decisions triggered by media reportsangled by minority groups with veiled motives. There has been understandable concern aboutthe implications for the dairy industry.

The government has been clear in the view that this decision relates to the export of slaugh-ter and feeder cattle to Indonesia and not to dairy cattle. Through ADF wecontinue to monitor the situation and maintain contact with key governmentand industry representatives to ensure dairy industry interests are well rep-resented and protected.

To top of the list we all now have the carbon tax to deal with, which willaffect all of our businesses. Nationally through ADF we are advocating afairer outcome for dairyfarmers.

All of the above is yet anoth-er sharp reminder of the need forstrong farm organisations withstrong membership support.


WELCOME 3

JULY 1 has been and gone. We now have a chance to reflect on 2010-11 as we put together theannual report and prepare for our annual general meeting on October 12 on the Gold Coast.

The last 12 months have been busy with a new executive officer appointed in April 2010,with lameness and calf rearing workshops to run. Visits to all regions were undertaken culmi-nating in our AGM and annual forum in Atherton last October. Then came the rains, floodsand Tropical Cyclone Yasi with mastitis, lameness and milking machine issues being high oneveryone’s agenda, and we responded with funding and workshops to all regions. In an imme-diate response to the post-disaster needs of dairyfarmers the Subtropical Board allocatedfunds to each region to spend how they felt best suited their region. A highlight was a socialevent in Casino in March, which was attended by more than 120 dairy people.

As we move ahead additional funding has been accessed for Next Generation and Womenin Agriculture projects for the region as well as a Caring for our Countrygrant for a soils project in Mid-North Coast of NSW. Small projects are sup-ported as are Cows Create Careers and Picasso Cows.

To hear about the year that was, contribute to our 2012-17 Strategic Plan,meet senior Dairy Australia people, discuss current research with youngemerging scientists, hear the learning from ourYoung Dairy Network Farm Ready Climate

Change project or to be inspired by ourguest speaker, Wayne Bennett, be at theGold Coast on October 12-14.

The Northern Dairyfarmer magazine is ajoint industry owned and operatedpublication targeted at delivering the latestresearch and development information andindustry news to dairyfarmers and industrystakeholders of the northern dairyindustry.The Northern Dairyfarmer ispublished on about the 13th of everysecond month in February,April, June,August, October and December.

The Northern

Dairyfarmer

EditorialEditors: Carlene and Alastair DowiePO Box 59, Carisbrook,Vic, 3464Email: <[email protected]>Phone/fax: (03) 5464 1542Mobile: 0418 553 282

AdvertisingAdvertising manager: Peter RoachPO Box 2544, Gladstone Park,Vic, 3043Email: <[email protected]>Phone: (03) 9344 9906Fax: (03) 9338 1044Mobile: 0417 371 364

Queensland Dairyfarmers’Organisation LtdAdrian Peake, Executive OfficerPO Box 13061, George Street Post Shop,Brisbane, Qld, 4003Phone: (07) 3236 2955Fax: (07) 3236 2956Email: <[email protected]>

Subtropical DairyNeale Price, Executive OfficerPhone: (07) 3396 6229Mobile: 0400 022 843Fax: (07) 3396 6628Email: <[email protected]>

Mailing and distributionThe Northern Dairyfarmer is distributed todairyfarmers throughout Queensland andnorthern NSW. If you are a dairyfarmer andare not receiving a copy, contact:Queensland Dairyfarmers’ OrganisationPO Box 13061, George Street Post Shop,Brisbane, Qld, 4003Phone: (07) 3236 2955Fax: (07) 3236 2956Email: <[email protected]>

CopyrightAll material in The Northern Dairyfarmer iscopyright. Reproduction in whole or part isnot permitted without written permissionof the publisher.

Editorial contributionsEditorial contributions are welcome, but noresponsibility can be taken for their loss.Copy is preferred by email in Word or text-only format with pictures and graphics as300dpi JPGs. Deadline is two months beforepublication.

PrintingHarris Print

Published by:Agricultural Publishers Pty LtdABN 55 000 560 430

ISSN 1833-8887

Busy year for Subtropical Dairy team

Ross McInnesChairSubtropical Dairy

Brian TessmannPresidentQueensland Dairyfarmers’Organisation

Strong farm organisations vital


4 SITUATION AND OUTLOOK

According to a Dairy UKwhite paper, because of the sheervolume of milk bought by Tesco,the farmgate price set by thisretailer is seen by many as settinga benchmark for the industry.

With Australia having evenless supermarket competitionthan in the UK, Mr Tessmannsaid there was cause for concernfor both farmers and shoppers.

“We are already seeing theimpact of the price-war at the

farmgate, right now, as processormilk brands sales have beenattacked by the unsustainablydiscounted supermarket storebrands,” he said. “The dairy-farmers who are here today havethe evidence of the impact intheir current milk cheques,which are lower in value.

“For shoppers, it could meanreduced choice in the long runand rising prices for milk, whichis exactly what has happened inthe UK.”

WES JUDD is stepping down as president ofAustralian Dairy Farmers (ADF) as he bat-tles to restore his Millmerran, Qld, farm fol-lowing this year’s devastating floods.

Mr Judd told the ADF board in July thathe would not seek re-election to the posi-tion of president at the mid-August ADFboard meeting.

Mr Judd will also step down from hisindustry representational duties, includingthose of Australian Dairy Industry Council(ADIC) chair and Australian Dairy HerdImprovement Scheme (ADHIS) president.

He will maintain his position on theQueensland Dairyfarmers’ Organisation(QDO) board, of which he is a past-presi-dent with a long serving record.

The Judd family farm, outsideToowoomba, was among the worst affectedby the Queensland floods, and ongoing wetweather has set back recovery.

A long-term vice-president as well aspresident of ADF, Mr Judd departs followingmore than a decade of service at a nationallevel to dairyfarmers on critical nationalissues such as international trade agree-ments, animal health and welfare, water, car-bon and regulatory reform. He has been

involved in many key industry events, includ-ing the formation of Dairy Australia and therestructuring of the Australian DairyFarmers Federation (ADFF) and theAustralian Dairy Industry Council in 2003.

On behalf of all dairyfarmers, the ADFboard and staff thanked Mr Judd for his tire-less service on behalf of dairyfarmersnationally and wished him and his family allthe best.

Wes Judd steps down from ADF

RIGHT: Wes Judd will step downfrom the position of ADF presidentas he helps to restore his family'sdairy farm after this year's flood.Photo: JAMES BRICKWOOD

■ From p1

FLOODS, cyclones, and prolonged wetweather are expected to have cut some 40million litres from milk production in theseven months to June 2011 in the northernproduction region, with production for thefirst few months of 2011 being down bysome 20%, Queensland dairy farmers heardin June.

At the annual Situation and Outlook(S&O) breakfast – where Dairy Australia pre-sented its latest industry statistics – farmersand industry were told that the summer of dis-aster had taken a heavy toll on the industry.

Queensland Dairyfarmers’ Organisationpresident Brian Tessmann said the S&Oreport confirmed that the retail milk war hadsapped confidence from Queensland farmersand was already directly affecting the pay-cheques of more than 180 dairyfarmers.

The report said: “Deep discounting offresh white milk products by major groceryretailers has stripped wholesale value fromthe milk category, commoditising a widerrange of products. This is affecting farm-gate returns for some producers and isthreatening farmgate milk prices for thenext season, as supply contracts are due forrenegotiation.”

Mr Tessmann said the cruel irony was thatthe underlying fundamentals should be causefor much more optimism from farmers.

“As we recovery from natural disaster, theseasonal conditions are sound. With a StateBudget depicting Queensland in an ongoingboom, our growing population will needmore and more fresh milk,” he said.

“Clearly there will be a thirsty demand forour milk but farmers need to see real value atthe retail end of the value chain so we can besustainable. We are not getting those signalsat the moment.”

Mr Tessmann also confirmed thatParmalat suppliers had again seen a drop intheir milk cheques as a direct result of themilk war.

“For the month of May, the portion of

branded-milk sales for which farmers wererewarded has dropped to 76.08%, from83.29% during the corresponding month lastyear.”

This is the pricing system’s lowest levelsince it was introduced in 2000. It means thatfarmers’ milk cheques have been more than$2400 lower compared with the same fourmonths of February to May last year. Acrossthis supply group the cumulative impact tothe end of May is mounting to close to half amillion dollars and is growing larger thelonger the retail milk price war continues.

“The impact of the retail milk war is realand it is hurting farmers right now,” MrTessmann said. “The impacts occurring inQueensland are a clear example of the lossesoccurring to the supply chain right across theboard.

“The retailers need to stop the price warnow and return prices to sustainable levels,and the Federal Government needs to act onthe recommendations we have put forward –and to do this quickly.

“Consumers wanting to support dairy-farmers should buy branded milk such asNorco, Dairyfarmers and Pauls.”

Qld dairy confidence hit for sixKEY POINTS■ Situation and Outlook

report finds Qld farmerconfidence down

■ Impact of floods, cyclonesand milk price war

Veresdale, Qld, district farmer Wally Holcombe withdirector-general of Dairy UK, Jim Begg, and QueenslandDairyfarmers' Organisation president Brian Tessmann.

RIGHT:NatalieBudden andMadonnaMoroney ofRabobank,Brisbane,enjoying aninformativemorning.


SITUATION AND OUTLOOK 5

Anna-Louise Cross of QueenslandDairyfarmers' Organisation, Brisbane, andPeter Perkins, Queensland Farmers'Federation, Brisbane.

Harrisville, Qld,farmers Mary andDuncan McInnescatching up for ayarn with JadeHauser of theQueenslandDairyfarmers'Organisation.

Darling Downs farmer John Saville talks toexecutive officer of Subtropical Dairy, Neale Price.

Greg McNamara and Andrew Burns, both ofNorco, hearing the latest industry trends at thebreakfast.

LEFT: Daniel Dickeson andMal Maroske, both ofNational Foods.

QueenslandDairyfarmers'Organisationpresident BrianTessmann,Kingaroy, Qld,and QueenslandMinister forAgriculture,TimMulherin.

Department of Employment,Economic Development andInnovation officers John Birdand John Darlingtondiscussing all things dairy.

Chris Oxenford,Dairy IndustryAssociation ofAustralia, chattingwith RohanParkinson ofRabobank.


6 MILK PRICE WARS

QUEENSLAND dairyfarmers areexpected to fall short of producingenough milk to meet the State’sdrinking milk demand this year,and the Queensland Dairyfarmers’Organisation (QDO) has warnedthat this trend could worsen infuture if a solution is not found tothe current retail milk war.

This issue was explained indetail in Brisbane recently whenQDO president Brian Tessmannspoke at the Queensland RuralPress Club, outlining the milkwar from a farmer’s perspective.

As a fourth-generation farmerat Kingaroy, Qld, Mr Tessmannhas been among many in theindustry highlighting the sinister

impact of the milk war since itwas initiated by Wesfarmers-owned Coles on Australia Day.

“The supermarkets are creat-ing a situation of market failure– which does not reflect the cur-rent supply and demand situa-tion or the true value and cost offresh milk,” Mr Tessmann toldthe Rural Press Club.

“The $1 per litre discountingis simply not sustainable for thefresh milk industry supply chainand the discounting initiated byColes has seen its competitorsdrop their prices to the sameprice or below to try to protecttheir market share. With this, thefresh milk category has beendevalued right across the nation.”

Mr Tessmann explained infurther detail what this meant forQueensland farmers, almost allof whom produced milk for thedomestic fresh drinking milkmarket and many of whom werebeing affected right now.

He said the writing was on thewall for consumers and politi-cians if they were interested inseeing an ongoing and sustain-

able milk supply in Queenslandand other regions of Australia inthe future.

He said:• Farm numbers had droppedfrom 1545 in 1999-2000 to about580 today; more exits were hap-pening right now and more wereexpected this year. • Queensland milk productionthis year was expected to bedown to about 490 million litres,meaning farmers in the Statewould not be able to meet theState’s market needs.• The growing population ofQueensland would require anextra 100 million litres of milkper year in 10 years’ time.

“The consumers and politi-cians need to realise that this is a

long-term issue,” Mr Tessmannsaid. “Any short-term gain at thecheckout now will come with ahefty pricetag down the track.

“If the price war continues toerode confidence and profitabili-ty, we will struggle to meet milkdemand now and in the futureand the value chain will be criti-cally damaged. You only have tolook at the history over the pastdecade here or in the UnitedKingdom to see what is ahead ofus if changes are not made.

“That will ultimately be a badoutcome for everyone: for jobs,local economies and consumers.The Federal Government needsto act on the recommendationswe have put forward – and to dothis quickly.”

Milk wars: dairyfarmerpresents the true impacts

Millmerran, Qld,dairyfarmer WesJudd (centre)with Warwick,Qld, farmersDonna and CliffShelley at theRural Press Clubevent.

KEY POINTS■ QDO president

addresses RuralPress Club

■ Outlines threatsfrom milk pricewar

■ Qld will face milksupply shortage

WESFARMERS’ decision thatthe company would hide behindlegal advice instead of facingquestions from its shareholdershas been seen by many people asdisgraceful and un-Australian.

More than 100 Wesfarmersshareholders had signed arequest for an extraordinary gen-eral meeting, expressing theircollective concern about the mar-keting strategy that Wesfarmers’wholly owned subsidiary Coleshad undertaken with its DownDown campaign on milk.

Section 249D, Part B, of thecorporations and securities legis-lation provides for 100 votingshareholders to require the boardto hold a shareholders’ meeting atwhich contentious issues – suchas this – could be addressed.

The Australian DairyFarmers had presented theWesfarmers board with 146 sig-natures requesting the meeting toaddress the following motions,for Wesfarmers to: • explain the Coles pricing strat-egy on milk and other dairyproducts and how this was con-sistent with the origins, valuesand corporate social responsibil-ity of the company; and• refrain from implementing andpersisting with the Coles ‘down-down’ milk and dairy productprice reductions.

Wesfarmers refused toaddress the motions. Instead, ithid behind its legal opinion onthe requirement to hold the meet-ing – a move that suggests a lackof respect for its shareholdersand yet again presents an attitudeof scant regard for dairyfarmersand their livelihoods.

Regardless of the legaladvice, it follows thatWesfarmers is showing a lack ofregard for its customers, many ofwhom are justifiably concernedabout higher milk prices and lesschoice in the future as supermar-kets take market share away frombranded products then move torecoup costs and as milk is trans-ported greater distances to sup-ply customers and markets.

For a company such asWesfarmers (which has its rootsin a farmer owned co-operativestructure) to refuse the opportu-nity to explain to its shareholdersand farmers and their familieswhy it is allowing Coles to getaway with these tactics wouldsuggest that it has lost any con-nection to its rural roots and nowhas other values at its core. Itraises some serious questions:• What does Wesfarmers have to

hide if it is afraid to face itsshareholders on this issue?• Where does it intend to takethe connection between farmersand retailers in this country?• How will its tactics affectmany regions of this country andthe ability of these regions toprovide themselves with basicfood staples?

This issue affects more thanjust farmers and consumers. Itaffects many people in countrytowns, such as fodder suppliers,rural stores and truck drivers, aswell as milk vendors and smallconvenience store owners acrossthe community.

All of these people were wait-ing to hear Wesfarmers explainwhy it was allowing this issue tocontinue affecting their lives but,then again, maybe the companyhas answered that question byrefusing to hold the meeting.

Wesfarmers hides behind legal advice on EGMBy Brian TessmannQDO president


MILK PRICE WARS 7

DAIRY Farmers Milk Co-oper-ative (DFMC) recently becameaware of the results of the ten-der for the Woolworths PrivateLabel milk supply contract.

Lion (National Foods),which is supplied by DFMC,retained the Woolworths PrivateLabel contract in Victoria andSouth Australia but it wasunsuccessful in securing thecontract in New South Wales.

DFMC chairman IanZandstra said Woolworths’decision to award the futurecontract to Parmalat was ofconcern to DFMC as a highpercentage of the milk pro-duced by DFMC members wascurrently utilised by Lion tosupply Woolworths private-label milk products.

DFMC recently negotiatedwith Lion for contracted milkneeds in NSW for 2011-12 of333 million litres but this wasdependent on Lion securing theWoolworths private label con-tract.

DFMC farmer suppliers inNSW produce more than 370million litres of white milkeach year. This announcementnow means DFMC suppliershave a secure home for only268 million litres and arereliant on the two processors,Lion and Parmalat, comingtogether to ensure the milkneeded to fill the Woolworthscontract is acquired from with-in NSW.

“Parmalat does not have thesupply volume in NSW to serv-ice this contract and we lookforward to working with themto ensure the viability ofDFMC farmers and to support asustainable national dairyindustry,” Mr Zandstra said.

“For DFMC suppliers inNSW, we are not in a positionto inform them what their indi-vidual contract volumes are forthe 2011-12 season untilNational Foods (Lion) andParmalat come together tonegotiate terms for the possible

transfer of milk volumes toParmalat to meet theWoolworths contract. We haveenjoyed some constructive pre-liminary discussions withParmalat and we are confidentDFMC milk will find its wayinto Parmalat processing facili-ties.

“The last thing the dairyindustry wants to see is a situa-tion where Woolworths milkproducts in NSW are suppliedby milk sourced from outsideof the State when we know thatthere is sufficient milk in NSWto fulfil the contract.

“The farming communityhas seen recently with thegrowth of supermarket private-label milk and the unsustain-able retail pricing of milk at $1per litre how they are exposedto retailer activity and deci-sions.

“There is great concernamong dairyfarmers that thisswitching of retailer contractswill lead to a major reduction

in farmer contracts, as hap-pened in Queensland recently.Such an outcome would be verydetrimental to the dairy indus-try and would also create alarmamong NSW consumers, whowe know want to continue to beable to buy milk produced bylocal farmers.”

DFMC represents 1820farmer members from 780dairy farms that produce onebillion litres of milk perannum. Since the sale of theDairy Farmers business toNational Foods in 2008, DFMChas supplied its milk to Lion(formerly called NationalFoods).

“We will do everything pos-sible to work with all partiesassociated with the Woolworthscontract to ensure that ourNSW suppliers, who produce370 million litres of milk perannum, get the best commercialdeal and stay relevant andviable in the dairy industry,”Mr Zandstra said.

Woolworths contract affects NSW farmers

Getting on top of hoof health

This is one of the many examples of the dairy service levy at work locally. Farmers receive a benefit of $3 for every $1 invested

by Dairy Australia on their behalf. For more information on this and other levy investments visit www.dairyaustralia.com.au

Caring for your herd’s hooves and legs is

part of the daily health check. Keeping an

eye on feet not only saves a cow from

pain, it makes financial sense.

Dairy Australia calculates estimates each

lame cow can cost up to $600 to $700/

year through lost milk production, lower

fertility, an increased risk of culling and

actual treatment costs.

About 80%-90% of lameness occurs in

the feet; most commonly in hind feet.

You can restrain a cow in a crush or

rotary bail or even on the platform in a

herringbone dairy.

If you suspect lameness, examine the

hoof using an examination kit comprising:

a soft rope for tying the leg;

hoof testers;

a sharp hoof knife (double-sided)

protected with a pouch;

sharp hoof trimmers; and

sharpening tools.

Examine the foot, looking for:

sole injuries;

white line disease;

foot rot, or

interdigital cracks.

The more stable and comfortable a cow

feels, the quieter she will stand. Having a

non-slip surface and/or straps to support

the weight of the cow will assist.

Talk to your vet about treatments like

trimming and paring, blocks, antibiotics,

anti-inflammatories/painkillers and rest. If

more than 7% of the herd is affected by

lameness, problems will be identifiable

which should be worked on with advice

from your vet.

Visit www.dairyaustralia.com.au for

suggestions on ways to help restore hoof

health in your herd.

ND

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8 RIGHT TO FARM

THE decision by the QueenslandGovernment to charge CougarEnergy as a result of its failedunderground coal gasification(UCG) trial near Kingaroy givessome relief to the South Burnettlandholders who have been seri-ously concerned about the proj-ect for years.

The government alleges thatCougar failed to properly installa gas extraction well, whichcaused a leak of contaminants tothe groundwater, and also that itfailed to notify the Departmentof Environment and ResourceManagement (DERM) of theincident as soon as reasonablypossible.

If found guilty, Cougar facesa fine of $800,000.

These charges vindicate theopinion of many aroundKingaroy who, after studyinginformation on UCG fromaround the world and observingwhat was happening on the ele-vated ground south of town, hadgrave doubts about the technolo-gy and the site as well as the trialproject in general.

The question is this: why didthe project not sooner alarmthose in government and theirdepartments, who have theresponsibility of regulating andmonitoring such projects?

Even before Cougar informedDERM of the incident, residentswere well aware of and vocalabout the risks associated withUCG technology.

Who knows what damagecould have been done if localresidents had not also been activecitizens and taken an interest inwhat was happening to theirlocal farmland and the environ-ment.

Of course, there are manyother extractive minerals and gas

projects causing concern forother groups of citizens allaround this State and, for thatmatter, around the country.

What happens to theeconomies in regional Australia,as well as Australia’s ability toprovide itself with food in a fewdecades’ time, if these projectsdamage large tracts of good agri-cultural land and then move onwhen the resources are gone?

Recently the head of WorldVision Australia, Tim Costello,commented that Australia need-ed to consider its moral responsi-bility to address global hungerbefore allowing its prime agri-cultural land to be consumed bymining operations.

Greens leader Bob Brownalso called for a more vigorouspublic debate on whether newcoal mines should be allowed onfarmland.

Meanwhile, farmers are stillwaiting for the State Governmentto finally deliver fair and broad-reaching strategic cropping landlegislation.

In addition to this issue,Australia also needs to ensure a

fair market in which food pro-ducers can operate and a sensibledomestic cost structure for sup-ply chains of food and fibre.

As Mr Costello says, the lossof farms also means a loss ofAustralia’s comparative advan-tage in food production and thisfactors as strategically importantin global food security.

This is just not in the strategicor the economic interest ofAustralia.

When it comes to farming andfood production, Australia hashad an abundance in the past.

It has been fortunate to theextent that governments andmuch of the population havegiven scant thought to the chal-lenges of the future and ensuringwe can feed ourselves and con-tribute to feeding people who areshort of food overseas.

In all this, I am reminded ofthe story of the goose that laidthe golden eggs.

If in our greed for a quickprofit we rip open the belly of thegoose, then for a short-term gainwe will lose our ability to renewour riches over and over.

Strategic farmland needsimmediate protectionKEY POINTS■ Underground coal

gasification trialcompany faces fine

■ Concerns fromresidents andfarmers aboutproject

By Brian TessmannQDO president

THE Queensland Farmers’Federation (QFF) has welcomedprogress on protectingQueensland’s strategic croppingland but has added that it hascome with mixed messagesfrom the State Government,which is clearly being pushedtoward watering down the poli-cy.

The State Government hasannounced ‘protection areas’and ‘management areas’ to pro-tect strategic cropping land(SCL) from permanentlydestructive mining activities.

QFF chief executive officerDan Galligan said it was withsome surprise that QFF learnedthe government had taken a dif-ferent tack on how SCL wouldbe protected.

QFF has always rejected theconcept of being able to manage

the impact that mining couldhave on the State’s best soilsand this new concept of miningcompanies somehow paying forthe right to conduct their activ-ities at the expense of agricul-tural soils was not one that itendorsed.

“In another shift, the policyhas moved from protectingexisting and future croppingresources to now only identify-ing current or historicallycropped land,” he said. “Thismove could jeopardise theintent of this reform and sendsa very disheartening signal tothe agricultural industry.”

But it is not all bad news. Onthe positive side, Minister forEnvironment and ResourceManagement Kate Jones hasbeen successful in pushingthrough plans for the SCL policy

on the areas to be known asprotection areas in SouthernQueensland and the Emerald-Springsure region.

“With this protection takingeffect immediately, we can onlyapplaud her for coming this faron a difficult issue within whatis clearly a government that isprimarily focused on developinggas and mining industries aboveall else,” Mr Galligan said.

“This policy is not an easyreform to manage but its swiftdevelopment is vital forQueensland’s long-term future.If done right, it will ensureQueensland has a long-termeconomic future beyond themining boom by protecting ourbest food-producing soils.Thesesoils are a finite resource; oncethey are gone, they are lost for-ever.”

SCL policy creeps up on successLEFT: QFF says a strategiccropping land policy is anutmost priority forQueensland.


NEWS 9

THE Australian Dairy IndustryCouncil (ADIC) is alarmed at theimpact a carbon price of $23 pertonne will have on the viability ofAustralian dairyfarming families.

Despite the exclusion ofdirect agricultural emissions anddiesel from the FederalGovernment’s Carbon Tax pro-posal, ADIC director AdrianDrury confirmed the severe con-

sequences for the dairy industryof this tax.

“The cost to dairyfarmingfamilies of this carbon tax is esti-mated to be $5000 to $7000 peryear,” Mr Drury said.

“Electricity is a major com-ponent of dairyfarming operat-ing costs, and this tax will have asevere, direct impact on dairy-farmers. Furthermore, the gov-ernment has failed to recognisethat as a trade-exposed industry,dairy processers cannot pass onthe costs of a carbon scheme tolocal consumers or world mar-kets; therefore, farmers will wearthe full cost of this tax.”

In Queensland, the recentsupermarket price war on milkhas shown the strength of the twomajor retailers and the inability

for farmers to see milk on super-market shelves that reflects thetrue value of the product. Thereare major concerns about whatthe carbon tax will mean forQueensland dairyfarmers whohave their prices tied to the freshdrinking milk market.

“The Prime Minister’s assur-ances that Australian familieswon’t be worse off does not seemto apply to the 7500 dairyfarm-ing families,” Mr Drury said.

“These families face the dou-ble whammy of paying the car-bon tax as householders as well.

“Clearly, although the gov-ernment claims it has targetedthis tax at the so-called ‘500 bigpolluters’, it is the family-owneddairy farm businesses that willhave to pay.

“A simple solution to thisobvious inequity is to exempt orremove the carbon tax on elec-tricity for primary producers anddairy processors.”

ADIC is keen to talk to thegovernment, the Greens and theIndependents about the carbon taxand how dairy may access supportmeasures to build some fairnessinto the equation for the dairy-farmers disproportionately affect-ed by this tax. It is absolutely vitalthat a fair deal for dairyfarmers beachieved. A loss of income of$5000 or more is simply not ten-able for family businesses.

ADIC would welcome specif-ic programs such as the FoodProcessor and Foundries Fundthat go part-way towards address-ing the inequity in this scheme.

Carbon tax to hurt dairyfarmersKEY POINTS■ Carbon tax to lead

to big increase inpower costs

■ Cost estimated at$5000-$7000 peryear

■ Farmers unable togain higher prices

Meeting with AgMinisterQUEENSLAND Dairyfarmers’Organisation (QDO) presidentBrian Tessmann and vice-presi-dent Ross McInnes recently metwith the Federal Minister forAgriculture, Fisheries andForestry, Joe Ludwig, in Brisbane.

Mr Tessmann and MrMcInnes used the meeting as anopportunity to highlight currentissues affecting the Queenslandindustry, including flood andcyclone recovery, as well as holda particular discussion on theimpacts of the current retailmilk price war and what mightbe done to resolve the crisis.

Regional migrationprogramwelcomed THE National Farmers’Federation has welcomed, aspart of Budget 2011-12, that theFederal Government hasannounced the introduction ofRegional Migration Agreements(RMAs).These agreements are anew migration initiative that willbring together employers, localand State government, andunions to co-operate onaddressing local labour needs.

By utilising RMAs, regionalemployers will be able to gain

streamlined access to temporaryand permanent overseas work-ers if they can demonstrate agenuine need. Visit this websitefor more information: <http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/regional-migration-agreements.htm>.

Fire ants keepspreadingTHE State Government haspublished extensive newspaperadvertisements on the recentspread of fire ants to new areasof south-east Queensland. Themaps, which are available on theDepartment of Employment,Economic Development andInnovation website, show thatthe ants have spread to areasaround Capalaba, NorthIpswich, Mutdapilly, Park Ridge,Marburg, Belmont, Slacks Creekand Loganholme.

For more information on fireants phone 132 523.

Food policy tick ofapproval AS PART of the State Budget,the Queensland Governmenthas announced a framework todevelop a food policy. TheQueensland Dairyfarmers’Organisation, through its mem-bership of the QueenslandFarmers’ Federation, welcomed

these early steps, which havebeen a long time coming.

An overarching frameworkalong the lines of that beingsought would help farmers con-front many of the challenges fac-ing their enterprises.

QDO attends LNPpolicy forumTHE Queensland Dairyfarmers’Organisation and otherQueensland Farmers’ Federationmembers have met withMembers of Parliament and staffof the Queensland Liberal-National Party (LNP) in Brisbane.The meeting was an opportunityfor QFF to present to the newLNP front bench as it headstoward a looming State election.

This included a meeting withnew LNP leader CampbellNewman and shadow Ministerfor Agriculture,Andrew Cripps.

QFF meets withNatural ResourcesMinisterQueensland Farmers’ Federation(QFF) president Gary Sansomand chief executive officer (CEO)Dan Galligan have briefedMinister for Natural Resources,Rachel Nolan, on issues in thenew Natural Resources compo-nent of her portfolio.

The Strategic Cropping Landpolicy was discussed in somedepth, with QFF raising con-cerns that the policy was beingwatered down now that miningcompanies would be able to payfor the right to conduct activi-ties that permanently alienatedagricultural soils from any pro-ductive use.

Another milkcheque drop forPDA suppliers PAUL’S Daily Access (PDA) sup-pliers have seen another drop intheir milk cheques. For themonth of May, the portion ofbranded-milk sales for whichfarmers were rewardeddropped to 76.08% from 83.29%in the corresponding month lastyear.

This is the pricing system’slowest level since it was intro-duced in 2000. It means thatfarmers’ milk cheques have beenmore than $2400 lower com-pared with the same fourmonths of February to May lastyear.

Across this supply groupthe cumulative impact to theend of May is mounting toclose to half a million dollarsand is growing larger thelonger retail milk price warcontinues.


10 WATER UPDATE

A PARLIAMENTARY reportinto the impact of the guide tothe Murray Darling Basin Plandoes little to allay the concernsof Queensland dairyfarmers inthe basin, who are cravingincreased certainty surroundingtheir water entitlements.

This report, released by theRegional Australia committeechaired by Independent MP TonyWindsor, indicates how much westill do not understand aboutgroundwater.

It highlights that current dataon groundwater is unreliable andthat the modelling used to predictthe capacity of groundwaterwater supplies is also uncertain.

With the draft plan due in amatter of weeks and yet withsuch gaping chasms apparent inthe knowledge used to inform our

understanding of groundwater,the region’s dairyfarmers will notbe instilled with any degree ofconfidence about what might bein store for them in the future.

Also, the Commonwealth isyet to clarify whether there will bea voluntary program to help farm-ers using groundwater to adjust tocuts in access under the draft plan.

There are 176 dairyfarmers inthe basin in Queensland whocontribute about a third ofQueensland’s production.

These farms supply four milkfactories in the south-east andcontribute to the employment ofabout 1250 people.

These farmers use mostlygroundwater for irrigation in theUpper Condamine Alluvium andBasalt areas and the Border RiversAlluvium. They also typicallyhold unsupplemented licences toextract surface water from unregu-lated rivers and groundwater andalso have on-farm dams whichtrap a small volume of overlandflow. The first draft guide to theMurray-Darling Basin proposedcuts of 29% to these farmers’groundwater supply.

Such a cut would limit theflexibility for dairy farms to off-set reduced water availabilityfrom groundwater by increasingtheir reliance on their surfacewater licences.

Adding to that uncertainty isthe issue that the Federal

Government buyback has to datepaid lipservice to the Queenslandsection of the basin. Where waterhas been bought, it has been sur-face water.

So, for the region’s dairy-farmers, neither the guide to theproposed plan nor last month’sParliamentary report nor govern-ment water programs have pro-vided certainty surrounding thespecific issue of groundwaterentitlement and, therefore, farm-ers have been left without anycertainty for the future of theirbusinesses.

We still don’t know howgroundwater will be dealt within the draft plan nor how theplan would accommodate thesignificant cuts already takingplace.

Clearly, it is imperative theMurray Darling Basin Authority(MDBA) and the governmentadopt the report’s recommenda-tion on understanding groundwa-ter: that is, as stated in the report,the recommendation that “theMurray Darling Basin Authorityimprove data on groundwateravailability, use and connectivitywith surface water prior to pro-posing sustainable diversion lim-its for groundwater”.

A clear strategy is urgentlyneeded so farmers can plan fortheir future, especially withmany of them facing a longrecovery from floods and the

added uncertainty surroundingthe retail milk war.

The dairy industry wants toexamine alternatives such as usingwater purchases to encourage on-farm infrastructure investment andco-ordinated assessments of arange of other investment optionscovering both surface and ground-water entitlements.

The MDBA and the FederalGovernment need to improve theimplementation process for waterrecovery programs. This wouldhelp encourage ‘willing sellers’and facilitate investment in water-use efficiency measures on-farm.

Trying to rush into a draftbasin plan without at least defin-ing a voluntary program toreduce groundwater entitlementsto sustainable levels will onlycreate more negative reaction andleave the dairy industry in thisregion in an uncertain position.

The rapid expansion of thecoal-seam gas industry andlooming questions about itsimpact on the groundwater sup-ply only add to our concerns.

At its core, this issue is aboutbusiness certainty. With MDBAchairman Craig Knowles due torelease the draft plan imminently,the industry will be looking for aplan that addresses these issues,minimises the impact on dairyingand helps give farmers the confi-dence to make future investmentdecisions for their businesses.

More certainty needed on groundwaterKEY POINTS■ Murray Darling

Basin Planuncertainty aboutgroundwater

■ Lack of knowledgeabout groundwaterand connectednessto surface water

■ More informationneeded beforebasin plan finalised

By Ross McInnesQDO vice president

QUEENSLAND’S major irriga-tion industries have been side-swiped by a State Governmentdecision to arbitrarily increasewater charges for many regions ofthe State. The State Governmentmade the announcement alongsidea decision to delay the investigationinto SunWater prices for an extra12 months, meaning new waterprices would begin on July 1, 2012.

Because of the delay, which ispart of a Queensland CompetitionAuthority (QCA) review intowater prices, the government hasannounced that many SunWaterirrigators will face interim price-hikes of $2 per megalitre plusConsumer Price Index (CPI).

The Queensland Dairyfarmers’

Organisation (QDO), through itsmembership of the QueenslandFarmers’ Federation (QFF), saysthis decision goes against thegrain of the entire process and ispre-empting the outcomes of theinvestigation.

“The very point of the exten-sion is to determine fair and sus-tainable prices,” QFF chief exec-utive officer Dan Galligan said.“With these figures pluckedseemingly from thin air, irriga-tors are quickly losing faith in theprocess.

“The only reason for thedelays is the very poor quality ofplans prepared by SunWater andreleased to QCA in January. Withthese extra charges to flow direct-

ly to SunWater, it is like givingyour child a treat for bad behav-iour and wondering why theyrepeat the behaviour in the future.

“Government and water usershave paid out millions of dollarsto SunWater in the past 10 years

so that SunWater can improve itsreporting process and yet we arestill struggling to get enough datafrom them to do a comprehensivepricing review. Questions need tobe asked, not rewards handedout.”

Irrigators slugged with price hikes

Irrigators say interim price hikes are a heavy burden forfarmers across Queensland recovering from floods andcyclones.


WATER UPDATE 11

THE Australian dairy industry isurging the Federal Governmentto suspend non-strategic waterbuybacks immediately in theMurray-Darling Basin, as recom-mended by the parliamentaryRegional Australia committeeinvestigating the proposed basinplan. The industry welcomed thereport by the committee, chairedby Independent Member ofParliament Tony Windsor, andcalled on the Minister forSustainability, Environment,Water, Population andCommunities, Tony Burke, to acton recommendations to improve

the performance of his depart-ment with more timely fundingfor water-saving projects.

Director of the AustralianDairy Industry Council, AdrianDrury, said the basin plan neededto be more than just a scientificexperiment in environmentalwatering on a large scale. “It alsoneeds to promote regional eco-nomic development and growth,”he said. “So far, the focus hasbeen too much on simply encour-aging people to leave farming.”

Ultimately, the primary testthat the dairy industry will applyto the draft basin plan is whetherit allows for a vibrant and grow-ing agricultural sector to operateacross the basin. This includesdetailed analysis of whether theplan will facilitate conditions foreconomic growth and the equalweighting of economic, socialand environmental objectives.

In particular, the dairy indus-try supports the Windsor com-

mittee’s call for the MurrayDarling Basin Authority and theCommonwealth Government to: • focus greater investment in on-and off-farm water-saving proj-ects;• develop a community engage-ment strategy tailored for eachcatchment community, withmeaningful opportunities forlocal communities to contributeto the plan’s design;• develop localised and targetedstructural adjustment packagesand localised economic develop-ment plans supported by work-force development and trainingpackages;• focus greater investment onresearch and development toimprove irrigation efficiency;• improve the data on groundwa-ter availability, use and connec-tivity to surface water; and• apply greater rigour to theassumptions underpinning the pro-posed sustainable diversion limits.

Mr Drury said the govern-ment’s move to smaller, rollingrounds of tenders for buybacksearlier this year was effectivelyjust more of the same approachtaken for the past few years.

“The government should limititself to strategic purchaseslinked directly to water-savinginfrastructure projects or com-munity-led decommissioning ofchannels or districts,” he said.

“Further general tenders forwater buyback should only beundertaken after water-savingprojects are completed andassessed and the environmentalresponse using the existing poolof purchased water has been eval-uated. The Federal Governmentmust also undertake an assessmentof practical environmental man-agement constraints, such as thelimited capacity to release largevolumes from dams for environ-mental watering events and theflooding risks for private land.”

Industry calls for water buyback suspensionKEY POINTS■ ADIC calls for

suspension of non-strategic waterbuybacks

■ Focus should be onwater-savinginvestment

Silage wrap recycle schemeNORTHERN and Mid NorthCoast New South Wales dairy-farmers can now take part in aprogram to recycle plastic silagewrap. The Plasback scheme,which turns silage wrap into aplywood sheet called Tuffboard,has started in the Lismore, Tareeand Gloucester regions.

The trial is being run in theGreater Taree and Gloucesterareas is a joint initiative ofMidwaste Regional WasteForum and Tapex, with contribu-tions from Greater Taree Cityand Gloucester Shire councils,the Dairy Advancement Group,

JR Richards and Jason CollinsTransport. The Lismore CityCouncil and Norco are combin-ing to run the scheme in theLismore area.

Under Plasback, started bysupplier of fodder conservationplastics Tapex, farmers bagunwanted plastics into Plasbackliners and drop them at counciltransfer stations. The liners arecoloured for a specific plasticwaste stream.

Environmental manager forTapex Pty Ltd, Ed George, saidthe system was changing existingunsustainable disposal practises

by giving farmers a cost-effec-tive, viable alternative for recy-cling. Plasback features a specif-ic bin and liner arrangement thatMr George said had some dis-tinct advantages.

“The bin and liner systemensures a segregated wastestream,” he said. “Only silagewrap can go in the liner. As theliner is clear, foreign matterand contamination are easilydetected.

Contact: Kevin Trustum,Lismore City Council, phone(02) 6623 2004; Ali Bigg,Midwaste, phone (02) 6585

0887; Gloucester ShireCouncil, phone (02) 6538 5250.

Ed George demonstrateshow to bundle the silagewrap for recycling.

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12 QDO CONFERENCE

THE Queensland Dairyfarmers’Organisation (QDO) is this yearholding its dairy industry confer-ence at Toowoomba on Tuesday,September 13, at the CathedralCentre. In light of eventsthroughout Queensland in early2011, which severely affected theindustry, the QDO is holding itsannual conference later thanusual to allow the industry toconcentrate on flood and cyclonerecovery efforts.

QDO chief executive officerAdrian Peake said the confer-ence this year would be moreimportant than ever in focusingpeople’s attention on rebuilding

the industry and providing a plat-form for the future of dairying inQueensland.

“The event this year is notbeing run as a joint conference toallow us to provide specificspeakers and topics relevant tothe farm production sector,” MrPeake said. He said it was intend-ed to hold the event over a singleday with the conference and din-ner. The QDO annual generalmeeting, followed by a panel ses-sion of issues under managementand program updates, will beheld on the morning ofSeptember14.

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PLANNING is well under wayfor the Northern DairyConference to be held onOctober 12-14 on the GoldCoast, and organisers are excitedby the new format and program,which is being designed tospecifically address the issues ofnorthern dairyfarmers.

The Northern DairyConference will provide dairy-farmers with relevant and practi-cal information and great net-working and social opportunitieswith the aim of buildingresilience and improving the sus-tainability and profitability offarms and the industry.

The conference combines the

Subtropical Dairy annual forumand annual general meeting andthe final stage of the YoungDairy Network (YDN)Skimming the Cream project andwill feature a line-up of speakerswho will provide expert analysison issues crucial and relevant tothe industry in the subtropicalregion.

Conference organiserVivienne McCollum said theorganisers’ objective for the con-ference was to bring togetherdairyfarmers and industry repre-sentatives to network, motivate,learn, be challenged, relax andhave fun.

“We are excited to announcethat one of Australia’s most suc-cessful, influential and innova-tive sports coaches, WayneBennett, will give the keynoteaddress at the dinner, which willbe sure to entertain and motivatefarmers,” Ms McCollum said.She said arrangements for MrBennett had been made throughCelebrity Speakers (website:<www.celebrityspeakers.com.au>).

The Subtropical Dairy annual

forum will comprise the annualgeneral meeting and the presen-tation of the strategic plan, tech-nical updates and regionalreports.

The technical updates willfeature an impressive program ofspeakers on a range of topicsincluding genomics, pastures,nutrition, animal health, carbontax and transfer of farm owner-ship.

The final stage of the YDNSkimming the Cream projectwill see farmers from each YDNregion presenting the findings onone of the topics they haveexplored during the Farm ReadyProject.

The Farm Ready Project iden-tified two key drivers that werelikely to create the biggestimpact on the dairy industry incoming years: government regu-lation on climate change andconsumer demand for dairyproducts. From there memberslooked at what they would do to

maximise the opportunitiesavailable to them or minimise therisks that might be prevalent toensure that dairies were well set-up for the future.

At the conference, thesefarmers will present their find-ings in the areas of niche mar-kets, consumers, technology,energy and carbon.

Dairyfarmers from through-out the subtropical region –which extends from Kempsey inNew South Wales to theAtherton Tablelands in Far NorthQueensland – are invited to be apart of the conference.

Registrations are now openand can be downloaded from<www.dairyinfo.biz>. For fur-ther information phone VivienneMcCollum on 0428 718 620,Neale Price on 0400 022 843 orregional Young Dairy Networkco-ordinators.

The Northern DairyConference is sponsored byDairy Australia.


14 SUBTROPICAL DAIRY CONFERENCE

Planning under way forSD/YDN conferenceKEY POINTS■ Northern Dairy

Conference –incorporatingSubtropical Dairyforum and YoungDairy Networkproject

■ October 12-14■ Mermaid Waters,

Gold Coast

TWELVE dairy extension offi-cers across Australia have beeninvolved in a series of trainingworkshops to start gaining theskills they’ll need to work withtheir local industry as farmersbegin adopting automatic milkingsystems (AMS).

An initiative of theDepartment of PrimaryIndustries (DPI) Victoria (DairyServices Branch), the traininginvolved advisers from all dairyingregions and AMS researchersfrom FutureDairy and DairyNZ.

Dr Kendra Kerrisk, who leadsFutureDairy’s AMS program, saidthe dairy advisers were all rela-tively new to automatic milkingbut each brought valuable skillsto the team.

The group included peoplewith expertise in agricultural eco-nomics, effluent management,

engineering, milk harvesting, pas-ture management, energy effi-ciency, social research and wholefarm systems.

“It’s been fabulous to bringsuch diverse skills together andhas allowed FutureDairy to col-laborate on automatic milking,”Dr Kerrisk said.

The training program hasinvolved visits to automatic milk-ing farms in Australia and NewZealand and a series of work-shops run by Sean Kenny fromthe DPI.

Australia now has 14 auto-

matic milking farms and overseasexperience shows that the tech-nology is initially adopted slowlyfollowed by a period of rapiduptake.

AMS-trained dairy advisers inQueensland include Ray Murphy,Agri-Science Queensland, Too-woomba, and Warwick Waters,Waters Consulting,Toowoomba.

Dairy advisers train up on robotics

Some of the advisers recently training in robotic milkingat the FutureDairy robotic pasture-based dairy farm atCamden, NSW.


NEWS 15

MORE than 1400 students,teachers, parents and rural indus-try representatives turned out atExpo Place at the RNAShowgrounds as part of the 2011Rural Discovery Day.

There were 27 presentationsdemonstrating to primary schoolstudents what rural industry wasall about and providing studentswith the unique chance to learnabout Queensland’s agriculturalindustry.

The Nambour State HighSchool Dairy Program team,headed by Ray Pembleton andwith a team of seven cows andtwo calves, provided the childrenwith live displays of cow milkingand a chance to try their hand atthe process.

They were also provided

with educational informationhandouts from by DairyAustralia and, as in previousyears, Parmalat and NationalFoods once again generouslysupported the day by providingproduct to all who visited thedairy display.

This was combined with pre-

sentations from dairyfarmersJenny Easlea and RowenaCrouch.

The day gave participants ahands-on experience and infor-mation on the role of farmers andwhere their food and fibre camefrom.

Even though the students areat a young age, they will start tothink about their careers shortly

and this will be an avenue topotentially encourage them tochoose agriculture for the future.

The Queensland Dairy-farmers’ Organisation thankedParmalat, National Foods, DairyAustralia, Ray Pembleton andNambour State High School,Jenny Easlea and RowenaCrouch for their support for theday.

Rural Discovery Day a big hit

The Nambour State High School Dairy Program teamgave children experience with live animals.

Students soak up all the information on offer at the 2011Rural Discovery Day.

Children were able to enjoyfree dairy products as partof the Rural Discovery Day.

Changes to primaryproducers' loansFOLLOWING the recent reviewof the QueenslandGovernment’s Primary IndustryProductivity EnhancementScheme (PIPES), QRAA hasmade changes to its existingproducts to provide finance tomeet future challenges andimprove enterprise productivityand sustainability.

These changes include:• the Development and ResourceManagement Loans have beenamalgamated into a newSustainability Loan to financeactivities to support better man-agement of climate risk andmaintain more productive andsustainable enterprises;• improvements to the First StartLoan, which allows primary pro-ducers to buy into an existing

family partnership to ultimatelytrade in their own right; • introduction of new lendinglimits of $650,000 (up from$500,000) to assist primary pro-ducers with rising land andequipment costs – QRAA cannow lend up to $200,000 withinthe $650,000 limit to buymachinery and/or livestock; and • making top-up finance avail-able for customers with existingFirst Start, Development orResource Management loans toreach the new maximum limit

QRAA loans are subject to eli-gibility criteria and terms and con-ditions, which are available in theloan guidelines at website<www.qraa.qld.gov.au>. For fur-ther information visit the website orcontact QRAA on 1800 623 946.

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16 AWARD WINNERS

NORTH Queenslanddairy business MungalliCreek Dairy, MillaaMillaa, and its staff andfarm suppliers are elat-ed to have been award-ed the champion milktitle at the RoyalQueensland Show thisyear.

Mungalli Creek wongold medals for both itsMungalli CreekBiodynamic FullCream Milk and itsMisty Mountain FarmsJersey Full CreamMilk, with the MungalliFull Cream Milk alsobeing named championmilk of the show.

“It’s great to get that formalrecognition at a State level,” mar-keting manager Michelle Bell-Turner said.

“It confirms that the time andeffort our farmers put into ensur-ing the best quality pastures andherds and the gentle processingthat we use have deliveredQueensland’s champion milk.Out of the 10 products that weentered, we were awarded ninemedals: three gold, four silverand two bronze.”

This is the fourth timeMungalli Creek has received agold medal for its milk, having

been awarded gold previously inthe 2007 and 2009 RoyalQueensland Show and the 2008Dairy Industry Association ofAustralia Awards.

Owner and chief executiveofficer Robert Watson said thepredominance of Jersey andBrown Swiss cows in theMungalli Creek herds and thewide variety of herbage in theirbiodynamic (organic) mountainpastures gave the milk a richcreamy flavour, which was thentreated as gently as possible.

“It’s a great morale booster allround and excellent to see that

our fledgling Misty MountainsBrand – a non-organic Jerseymilk, which we started process-ing just 10 months ago – is nowalso up there winning gold aswell. Our new farmers who sup-ply under the Misty Mountainbrand are very excited to seetheir Jersey milk with a goldmedal.”

Mungalli Creek Dairy is alocal on-farm processor of pre-mium-quality dairy productsbased at Millaa Millaa and sup-ports six local family farms andemploys 10% of the local popu-lation.

Mungalli named champion milkMungalli Creek Dairy staffproduction workers BobSquillari and Matt Lucas,factory manager MichaelSturman, marketingmanager Michelle Bell-Turner and chief executiveofficer Robert Watsoncelebrate their win in theRoyal Queensland Showawards.

THE Dairy Industry Associationof Australia (DIAA) QueenslandDivision held its annual confer-ence in Brisbane in June, withrepresentatives from throughoutthe industry in attendance.

More than 80 industry associ-ates gathered at the RydgesSouthbank to hear speakers dis-cuss rising issues in the industryand to celebrate 25 years. Theconference featured expertspeakers covering a full range oftopics on the Thursday. TheDIAA product awards were pre-sented at the conference lunchand were followed by an industrydiscussion panel focusing ongovernment, research and manu-facturing issues leading intothe DIAA annual general meet-ing and finishing up with a net-

working function in the evening.Conference speakers included

Greg McNamara, Norco Co-op;Mark Davis, National Foods;Steve Walters, Origin Great; IanHollindale, Parmalat; PhilRybinski, Fonterra; ChesterKidd, Ecolab; Ian Bray,SafeFood; and Lyndon Kurth,CSIRO. Their collective speech-es covered the full spectrum ofindustry concerns, highlightingcurrent issues facing the industryand drawing lessons from thepast to better the industry’sfuture.

At the lunch, the DIAAQueelsnad Dairy ProductAwards were presented and allthis year’s recipients were recog-nised and had the opportunity tonetwork with the conference

sponsors and associates. Majorawards were presented to:• Best New Product – WoodsideCheese for Mandolin PicnicCheese; reserve champion prod-uct – Lion Nathan NationalFoods – Burnie, for TasmanianHeritage Signature Camembert;• Champion Product – LionNathan National Foods – Burnie,for Tasmanian Heritage RedSquare; and• Most Successful Exhibitor –Barambah Organics (which col-lected a total of five classawards).

Other class awards were wonby Parmalat South Brisbaneand Nambour, Lion NathanNational Foods – Malanda andWarrnambool Cheese andButter.

MARY Valley State School tookthe title of crand champion forthe Gympie region of DairyAustralia’s unique PicassoCows project at a colourfulpresentation day. There wereplenty of big, toothy smilesfrom the six Gympie primaryschool groups as they proudlypresented their brightlycoloured, hand-painted, life-size fibreglass cows.

Mary Valley took the cakewith its cow,Yabbabella, whichwas named after two creeks inthe area, Yabba Creek andLittle Bella Creek. She waspainted to the themeUnbeatable Bones, which fea-tured bones and dinosaurs.Thestudents made the connectionbetween drinking milk nowand protecting your bones sothey last longer, just likedinosaur bones have lastedthrough the ages. Along withthe honour that comes withthe title, they won $250 fortheir school.

Mary Valley StateSchool is thecream of the crop

Mary Valley State Schoolstudents and teachersproudly display theirPicasso cow.

DIAA celebrates 25 years


DAIRY AUSTRALIA UPDATE 17

DAIRY Australia is launching anew campaign encouraging par-ents to give their primary-school-aged children more dairy foods.

From June to August peoplewill see advertisements innational magazines and hear the“three serves a day” message onvarious radio stations across thecountry. The aim of the cam-paign is to ensure parents don’tmiss out on the window ofopportunity to help their kidsbuild strong bones for life.

National research conductedby CSIRO on behalf of DairyAustralia and the Dairy Healthand Nutrition Consortium(DHNC) identified children upto the age of four years generallyconsumed the recommended lev-els of calcium, but from aboutfour years onwards children didnot increase their dairy intake toachieve their increased require-ments for dietary calcium.1

Dairy Australia dietitianGlenys Zucco said while mostparents recognised dairy was agood source of calcium, therewas uncertainty about how muchtheir families should be eating tomeet their requirements.

“Recent research by DairyAustralia found many parentswere not aware their childrenwere not consuming enoughdairy,” she said. “MostAustralians, including children,

need three serves of dairy everyday to meet their recommendedcalcium requirements. This cam-paign aims to raise awareness ofnot enough calcium in the diet ofchildren and offer practical solu-tions for parents to increase theirchildren’s dairy intake.”

The campaign started in earlyJune and will feature print adver-tisements in Woman’s Day andAustralian Good Taste maga-zines, radio advertisements onAus Stereo breakfast news (inSydney and Melbourne) and the

“3@3pm” segment (in metropol-itan markets nationally), andonline advertisements.

Low intake of dairy foods andcalcium leads to an increasedrisk of osteoporosis later in lifeand leaves growing bodies shortof a vital nutrient required tobuild peak bone mass. Ms Zuccosaid dairy foods were packedwith readily absorbable calciumand were the easiest way for achild to boost their calciumintake.

“Giving children three

serves of dairy foods every dayis critical throughout theirformative years, which includesthe teenage years,” Ms Zuccosaid.

To support the campaign, a “3Everyday” logo has been devel-oped to address confusion aboutwhat a serve of dairy is and whatquantity of dairy equals a serve.

Check out the new campaignmaterials at <www.dairyaustralia.com.au/kidsneed3>.These include an online calciumcalculator and simple tips andrecipes to help parents ensure thewhole family is having enoughcalcium and importantly dairy inthe diet every day.

* 1. Secondary analysis of the2007 Australian NationalChildren’s Nutrition andPhysical Activity Survey(CSIRO 2009) revealed only onein five children aged four to 11years was consuming threeserves of dairy daily as recom-mended by the Australian Guideto Healthy Eating as part of abalanced diet across all foodgroups.

This logo has been developed by Dairy Australia as part ofa campaign promoting the importance of eating threeserves of dairy a day.

Minimum wage increase announcedFAIR Work Australia hasannounced that the nation’s 1.4million low-paid workers willreceive pay rises of about $20 aweek from July 1 – less than the$28 being sought by unions.Weekly wages for award-freeworkers would increase by$19.40 a week to $589.30, itsaid.

Modern award minimumwages will rise by 3.4%. Thisincludes the minimum wage foreach classification in thePastoral Award 2010.The 2011-12 pay rates and transitionalrates for dairy employees areavailable on The People in Dairywebsite. Go to the homepage <www.thepeopleindairy.org.au> and follow the links

from the ‘what’s new’ item.Unions had been seeking a

flat $28-a-week increase whileemployers had sought to limitthe increase to between $9.50and $14 a week.

Fair Work Australia said itrecognised that many business-es were facing a tough timeafter the floods in Queensland,New South Wales and Victoriaand Cyclone Yasi inQueensland. But tribunal presi-dent Justice Geoffrey Giudicesaid it would not defer the dateat which the increase in theminimum wage would comeinto effect.

For more information con-tact QDO, phone (07) 32362955.

New-look website offers moreDAIRYFARMERS can nowaccess information about theirlevy investments through therevamped Dairy Australia’s(DA) website <www.dairyaustralia.com.au>.

Key profitability drivers forfarmers such as milk price fore-casts, farm business manage-ment advice, and market out-look and predictions are a keyfeature of the updated site.

After several workshopswith farmers and industry peo-ple and several tests through-out the past nine months, thenew-look site comes with a lotmore data and farm compari-son tools, making it easier tofind key information.

After listening to farmer

needs on a range of issues,Dairy Australia managing direc-tor Ian Halliday said the updat-ed website would feature con-tent on market news, outlookand predictions; milk priceforecasts; world market prices;an overview of DA projects;farm business managementdata, tips and advice; farm inputcosts; and region-specific infor-mation.

The key areas of assistingthe industry with attracting,retaining and developing peopleand information on the nutri-tional benefits of dairy prod-ucts are also highlighted, whileexisting information on topicssuch as feed, mastitis and fertil-ity remains available.

DA launches 3 serves campaign


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FARM FINANCE UPDATE 19

IT’S that time of year again tohave a look at farm financial per-formance and trends, accordingto Department of Employment,Economic Development andInnovation (DEEDI) senior sci-

entist Ray Murphy. Mr Murphyco-ordinates the QueenslandDairy Accounting Scheme(QDAS), which provides finan-cial analysis to Queenslanddairyfarmers and allows them tocompare their performance withregional averages and otherfarms within their regional pro-duction system. “This year’sanalysis will be critical as farm-ers examine the impact climaticand market conditions have hadon their business in the past 12months,” Mr Murphy said.

Floods, cyclones, the pro-longed wet and milk price dropshave provided a shock to the bot-

tom line of Queensland dairy-farmers. By taking part inQDAS, Queensland farmers gainan accurate picture of their finan-cial position and performance,which will be important as theyplan to build their businessfuture. QDAS, established in1976, aims to help dairyfarmersmake informed decisions basedon business information and hasgiven farmers a clear picture oftheir business position thoughthe good times and the bad.

Throughout the years, partici-pating farmers have been askedwhat they like about QDAS.Their responses have included:

• It enhances our business man-agement skills and assists us tofocus on key areas in order tomake improvements.• It helps us see how we’re goingcompared to others in the regionand keeps us on our toes.• It provides good benchmarks tohelp farmers assess their busi-ness options and grow their busi-ness effectively – based on realdata and not just a whim.• We are able to determine thecosts of production and seewhere we can improve.

QDAS is free, independentand confidential. Individual farmdata is securely stored and farmsare never identified when com-pared with others in their region-al production system. The QDASannual report then provides theindustry with Queensland aver-ages and averages of regionalproduction systems.

Farmers taking part in QDASreceive an analysis of their:• cash receipts and cash costs (agross margin);• business receipts and operatingcosts (a profit map);• five-year production trends;• five-year financial trends; and• key performance indicatorswhen compared with farms in thesame regional production system.

QDAS is available to alldairyfarmers in Queensland andit is data collection time now.

Time to review financial performance

Is your fencing adequately insured?

FENCING is one of the mostcostly and time consumingaspects of running a dairy farm.After hard work on maintainingfencing, bushfires, storms andother events can destroy a sig-nificant proportion of it in fewminutes. It is therefore vital thatfarmers insure it for the rightamount.

Queensland FarmersFederation (QFF) alliance part-ner, WFI has provided thesetips to help farmers considerthe amount of insurance theyneed for fencing:• Calculate the distance offencing for the entire property,breaking this down into differ-ent fencing requirements if nec-essary. Farm maps, GoogleEarth and GPS techniques canassist.• Find out current replacementcosts per kilometre for the

types of fencing on the proper-ty, remembering to include allthe necessary materials.A mer-chandise company should beable to assist with currentcosts.• Consider including labourcosts in insurance. While manyfarmers usually maintain thefencing themselves, if they lost asignificant proportion they mayneed to hire a fencing contrac-tor to help replace it quickly.

Statistics also show that inthe event of a catastrophe (egfire/storm), replacement costsof materials and labour canincrease by up to 50%, so thisshould also be factored intocalculations to ensure adequateinsurance coverage.

If a farmer is concernedabout the insurance premium tocover all fencing, considerselecting a higher excess.While

the farmer will need to pay ahigher amount at the time of aclaim, it will reduce the premiumand ensure they have the rightamount of insurance cover.

Contact a local insurancerepresentative to check thelevel of insurance cover andupdate the policy regularly.

WFI, part of WesfarmersInsurance, has strong links withrural communities acrossAustralia. It is one of the largestrural and regional insurersnationally with an extensiverange of insurance products tosuit farming operations, includ-ing Dairypol which has beendesigned in consultation withdairyfarmers from all states.

Contact: WFI area man-agers, phone 1300 934 934,or visit website <www.wfi.com.au>.

Article supplied by WFI

KEY POINTS■ QDAS provides

financialperformance data

■ Benchmarksestablished fordifferent regions

■ Opportunity toimprove businessmanagement

MORE INFORay Murphy DEEDI Mobile: 0417 622 273Email: <[email protected]>

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With significant changes in the insurance market over the last year, it’s good to know there are local people with a wealth of knowledge and experience to light the way. WFI, part of the Wesfarmers group, has been supporting rural Australia for over 90 years. And with more than 80 offices Australia wide, you’re sure to get quality one-on-one service from a local who understands you.

To talk to your local Area Manager, call 1300 934 934 or visit wfi.com.au

Sun-up or sundown,we’re good people to know.

WFI is a trading name of Wesfarmers General Insurance Limited ABN 24 000 036 279 AFSL 241461, the issuer of our policies. Contact WFI for a Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) to help decide if our policies are right for you.

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20 WATER WORKSHOPS

By Ross Warren andJohn Miller*

THE Department ofEmployment, EconomicDevelopment and Innovation(DEEDI) project team hit theroad in June to deliver a series offour workshops to Central andNorth Queensland producers.The days focused on irrigationsystem comparisons, irrigationscheduling and crop waterrequirements and performance.

More than 50 farmers attend-ed the workshops at Monto,Rockhampton, Eungella andMalanda. Most days incorporateda farm walk and discussion aboutthe irrigation system and pasturemanagement on the host farm.

Ross Warren spoke of theadvantages and disadvantages oftravelling-irrigator, solid-set andcentre-pivots systems. He out-lined collective results frommore than 100 irrigation auditsthat he and John Miller had col-lected in past five years.

It was evident that the higherinitial capital cost of solid-setand centre-pivot irrigators wasworthwhile and that these sys-tems offered reduced labour andmaintenance costs, increasedirrigation distribution uniformityand substantially lower electrici-ty costs. Pumping costs per

megalitre can be two to fourtimes higher for a traveller sys-tem than for the others (see Table1).

One of the other major factorsnoted was the ability to moreaccurately schedule irrigationunder pivots and solid-set.Farmers who scheduled theirwater application increased pas-ture production and reducedcosts, contributing to rapid pay-back.

Mark Callow, Mr Miller andJack Fitzgerald discussed sched-uling, plant requirements andperformance and on-farm energycosts. Mr Callow discussedwater use in plants and efficien-cy, irrigation scheduling and cal-

culating crop water require-ments. He outlined forage pro-duction for a range of dairy cropsin relation to tonnes of dry mat-ter per megalitre of water. Hesaid that good irrigation prac-tices alone would not ensure highwater use efficiency; considera-tion needed to be given to fer-tiliser, grazing pressure and weedmanagement as well as manyother factors.

Through the research pro-gram Mr Callow has had theopportunity to investigate manysoil moisture indicators. He saidthat some of the devices werefantastic on the research stationbut not so “farmer friendly.” Oneof the best farm monitoring toolswas a gypsum block and logger.Mr Callow said that the datafrom these devices was credible,

they were easy to use and theywere inexpensive.

The team said it hoped that byhaving an understanding of plantrequirements and yield potentialand irrigation system capability,farmers would be able toincrease their bottom line fromforage production.

The team thanked those whoattended, the host farmers andthe respective processor adviserswho assisted with the work-shops. More will be held insouthern areas in the comingmonths.

The Dairy & Fodder Waterfor Profit program is managed bythe Queensland Dairyfarmers’Organisation and is supported bythe Queensland Government rep-resented by the Department ofEnvironment and ResourceManagement and theDepartment of Employment,Economic Development andInnovation.

*Ross Warren and JohnMiller are from the Departmentof Employment, EconomicDevelopment and Innovationdairy extension.

Making the most of irrigationKEY POINTS■ Solid-set and

centre-pivot betterirrigationinvestment

■ Scheduled waterapplication liftspasture, reducescosts

■ Fertiliser, weed,pasturemanagement alsoimportant

Speakers Mark Callow,DEEDI Agriscience; CharlieErnst, Parmalat field officer;and dairyfarmer Ray Clewsat the workshop held onthe Clews family dairy atRossmoya, Qld, north ofRockhampton.INSET: Russell and JasonLarsen in ryegrass at theMonto workshop showingfeed on offer for the nextgrazing.

Table 1: How different irrigation systems stack up.

Irrigation Capital Labour Scheduling Water use $/MLSystem Cost ($/ha) input ability (10c/kWh)Traveller 2000-2500 High Low High 98Solid Set 2500-3500 Low-Med High Med 42Pivot 2000-3000 Low High Med 25


LAMENESS WORKSHOPS 21

IN EARLY July the QueenslandDairyfarmers’ Organisation andSubtropical Dairy collaboratedwith Comfort Hoofcare Australiato bring one of the top hoof trim-mers from United States, KarlBurgi, into the region.

Almost 100 dairyfarmers,workers and advisers took advan-tage of the three days of work-shops conducted at Casino, NSW,Kenilworth, Queensland, andBeaudesert, Qld. These work-shops provided theoretical andpractical applications of a rangeof methods and techniques, toaddress the issues of lameness.

Mr Burgi suggests a hoofhealth management plan thatcomprises the following:

1. Give every cow the oppor-tunity to comfortably rest or lie

down for eight to 14 hours perday, depending on the manage-ment system.

2. Cows must be observeddaily for signs of lameness andimmediate attention should begiven through functional andtherapeutic hoof trimming.

3. Functional trimming beforestresses such as calving, rationchanges and hot weather reducesthe likelihood of lameness.

4. Score all cows for locomo-tion on a regular basis.

5. Assess and functionallytrim (if needed) every first-calfheifer and cow at dry off.

6. Introduce heifers to con-crete four to six weeks beforeparturition.

7. Minimise time first-calfheifers stand in milking sheds forfirst two to four weeks.

8. Introduce heifers at sevenmonths pregnant to dry cows.

9. Move cows quietly andcalmly.

10. Maintain all walking sur-faces for smoothness, propertraction and cleanliness.

11. Manage nutrition.12. Keep cows cool during

hot periods.13. Design and construct

dairy facilities that are optimalfor high-producing cows.

14. In case of infectious dis-eases (eg foot rot), a footbathshould be used for preventionand treatment.

Further information on this andassociated topics can be accessedfrom websites <www.KarlBurgi.com> or <www.comforthoofcare.com.au>.

Mr Burgi regularly travels toAustralia and offers day work-shops similar to these as well as athree-day hoof trimming course.Subtropical Dairy is interested to

hear from dairyfarmers in theseor other regions if there is interestin additional workshops, so con-tact Neale Price at email<[email protected]>.

Lameness workshops, forfarmers using Dairy Australia pro-duced materials, have been con-ducted in Central Queensland, FarNorth Queensland and Burnettregions. Any other regions canalso avail themselves of this work-shop through Subtropical Dairy.

Additionally, to ensure that theprovider and adviser sectors main-tain currency in relation to hoofcare and lameness, workshopswere conducted at Dayboro, Qld,and Warwick, Qld, in late July.

This project is supported byfunding from the AustralianGovernment Department ofAgriculture, Fisheries andForestry under FarmReady, partof Australia’s Farming Future.

Lameness: how it affects your profitKEY POINTS■ Lameness

workshopsconductedthroughoutSubtropical dairyregion

■ Principles forreducing lamenessoutlined

■ Further workshopsavailable forinterested farmers

A group of farmers listensto Karl Burgi outline waysto reduce lameness.

Herd health targetsHEALTH problems in dairyherds can make the start of themilking season busier and morestressful than it needs to be.

Keeping track of herd healthproblems in early lactation willenable farmers to determine ifnutrition in the three weeks lead-

ing up to calving has been ade-quate.

Dairy Australia’s InCalf pro-gram leader, Dr Barry Zimmer-mann, said cows and heifers need-ed a special diet to prepare themfor the dramatic changes thatoccurred around calving and at thestart of lactation.

The three weeks before calv-ing was the time to get springersready for lactation with a transi-tion feeding program, he said.

“Even if you think your herdis doing okay, it’s worth compar-ing its performance with theInCalf targets shown in thetable,” Dr Zimmermann said. “Ifyour herd scores higher than thetarget for any herd health prob-lem, it’s worth reviewing yourtransition feeding program.”

A successful transition feed-ing program helps prevent milkfever and reduces retained foetalmembranes, assisted calvings,acidosis, ketosis and lameness.

It also boosts milk productionand herd fertility.

For more information, refer toInCalf’s latest booklet, Springers:repro ready, available from localadvisers or at <www.dairy australia.com.au/Animals-feed-and-environment/Fertility>.

Contact: InCalf, email<[email protected]>,phone: (03) 9620 7283.

Table 1: InCalf ’s targets: if the herd scores higher, review nutritionin the three weeks leading up to calving

Herd health problem InCalf target (% of herd) Milk fever 1% (2% for cows older

than 8 years)Retained foetal <4%membrances (RFMs)Assisted calvings <2%Vaginal discharge <3%Acidosis 0Ketosis <1%Mastitis <5 cases/100 cows

in first 30 daysGrass tetany 0 Lameness

<2% with score of 2-5

Karl Burgidemonstrateshoof-trimmingtechniques.


22 NATURAL DISASTER RECOVERY

IN EMERGENCIES, people canuse up more emotional energythan they realise. They put them-selves into a survival state to dealwith problems and cope withfears, frustrations and other feel-ings. The body’s natural way ofworking outside the normal com-fort zone in this way is calledbeing in a ‘state of stress’. Itmeans people can:• focus on the important things;• concentrate and work hard forlong periods;• put aside feelings in order to dowhat has to be done;• carry lots of details in theirmind;• put their own needs aside andnot feel hunger or fatigue;• while others are in need, thinkclearly and quickly; and• keep a step ahead of what ishappening.

Being in a ‘state of stress’uses a great deal of energy.People can usually keep going foras long as they need to but even-tually they start to feel the effectsof stress. They cannot maintaintheir energy level and come offthe ‘high’ they have been on. It isat this time that people may startto display stress symptoms.

The longer the emergencylasts, the stronger the symptomsare likely to be. Often they startwhile the emergency is occurringbut they may be worse after it isover. This is the rebound to theextra efforts that have been madeduring the crisis. Stress is normaland natural but needs to beunderstood.

Stress symptomsThinking:• trouble thinking clearly, plan-ning, making decisions;• can’t concentrate or rememberdetails;• low attention span;• can’t stop thinking about theissues all the time;• keep thinking about bad timesin the past;• not speaking clearly, slurringwords, forgetting names.

Physical• bodily tension, stress and tight-ness in muscles;• weak feelings, tiredness, loss ofenergy and enthusiasm;

• headaches, trembling, sweat-ing, nausea, aches and pains;• lack of appetite, increaseddesire for stimulants (sugar,alcohol, tobacco or coffee);• feeling tired but cannot sleep,disturbed sleep, dreams andnightmares.

Feelings• feel detached from things;• don’t care any more;• irritable, bad-tempered, impa-tient and restless;• unable to relax or keep still;• feeling overwhelmed;• everything seems too hard ordifficult;• tearful for no reason;• easily upset or hurt;• oversensitive to what others doand say;• insecure – wanting to stay infamiliar places with routines;• feeling very emotional;• experience waves of anger orworry that are not reasonable.

Relationships• feel others are to blame forstress;• tendency to get things all out ofproportion;• can’t feel happiness, enjoymentor affection for loved ones;• moody and gloomy;• feeling sad and hopeless asthough the emergency will neverend;• changed relationships withthose close;• either don’t want to be withfamily or friends or always needthem around;• have to talk about the emer-gency all the time;• feel others don’t understand ordon’t seem to care.

The stress cycleIf stress has been ongoing, a pat-tern of stress may form. As aresult, stress reactions causemore problems and this causesmore stress. This is called thestress cycle. Once established,stress can become a lifestyle.Long-term stress will underminehealth and may cause illnesses.Getting over stress means break-ing the stress cycle.

Looking after yourselfThere are plenty of things thatanyone can do that will help to

break the stress cycle and reducetension. Many simple pleasureswill make a big difference tostress. Enjoyment is the bestantidote to stress.

Physical• do regular rhythmic physicalexercise such as walking, swim-ming, cycling;• make an effort to reduce or atleast not to increase intake ofstimulants such as alcohol,tobacco and sugar as they keepthe stress cycle going;• eat regular, well-balancedmeals even if they are small.

Relationships• keep regular contact with peo-ple you like to be with;• ask for help when you need it –many people enjoy giving help;• make time to be with your fam-ily or friends;• talk to people you trust aboutyourself and what is happeningso you can get it into perspective.

Relaxation• do regular relaxation exercisessuch as deep breathing, listeningto quiet music, meditation;• do something about bodily ten-sion such as massage or exercises;• rest regularly, even if you canonly do it for a short time;• try to find something that willmake you laugh sometimes.

Attitudes• accept that it will take time toget out of the stress cycle, andkeep trying;• be careful of accidents – con-centration and judgement may beimpaired under stress;• try to be organised and efficient

so you have some time to your-self.

Getting helpThe most important thing toremember is that you, your fami-ly and your community are notalone. Support is availablethrough a number of QueenslandGovernment agencies and com-munity organisations.There are a number of ways ofseeking help for distress.• Lifeline (call 13 11 14):Lifeline Australia provides serv-ices from 59 locations.• Red Cross: The AustralianRed Cross has a number of freeinformation booklets and factsheets on recovering from a dis-aster and cleaning up after aflood. To obtain a copy of thebooklets visit the website<http://www.redcross.org.au/ourservices_acrossaustralia_disasteremergencyservices_default.htm> or call Australian Red Crosson 1800 733 111.• Help and more informationmay also be obtained from yourgeneral practitioner, local com-munity health centre or localmental health service. Refer tothe White Pages telephone direc-tory for contact details.

This material is copyright andproduced by Mental HealthBranch, Queensland Health.Queensland Health acknowledgesthe assistance of the VictorianGovernment Department ofHuman Services’ EmergencyManagement Branch in the pro-duction of this fact sheet.

Stress after natural disastersStep 1. Recognise you arestressed. People often don’trecognise their own stressbecause they are too focusedon the problems. Listen to oth-ers who may see you moreclearly than you see yourself.Step 2. Get to know yourstress cycle. Try to see howthe stress symptoms causemore stress and put you in thestress cycle.Step 3. Make a decision tobreak the stress cycle.Although there are lots ofthings about your life you can-

not change, there a real wayssome that you can, but you haveto decide to do it.Step 4. Reduce stress activ-ities. Check your routines andlifestyle to see where you canreduce the stress.Where possi-ble stop doing things that keepstress high.Step 5. Increase relaxationand positive activities. Buildactivities into your daily routinethat break the stress cycle andgive you a reward or good feel-ing, even if only a small one. Put alittle effort into enjoying yourself.

Steps to breaking the stress cycle


NORTHERN DAIRY DIARY 23

August: Ekka, RNA Showgrounds11-20: Bowen Hills, Brisbane

Contact: RNAPhone: (07) 3852 1831 Fax: (07) 3257 1428Email: <[email protected]> Website: <www.ekka.com.au>

August Irrigation Australia 2011 Conference22-25: Launceston,Tasmania

Contact: Irrigation AustraliaPhone: (02) 9476 0142 Fax: (02) 9476 0792Email: <[email protected]>Website: <www.irrigationaustralia.com.au>

September Toowoomba Ag Show6-8: Toowoomba, Qld

Contact: Peter ErwinPhone: (07) 4634 1155Email: <[email protected]>Website: <www.agshow.com.au/>

September Heat Load Model pilot workshop9: University of Queensland, Gatton, Qld

Contact: Rick KowitzMobile: 0427 669 994

September Queensland Dairyfarmers’ Organisation14-15: annual conference

Toowoomba, QldContact: Kylie DennisPhone: (07) 3236 2955Email: <[email protected]>

September: Landcare Conference 201120-23: supported by NQ Dry Tropics

Contact: Landcare QueenslandPhone: (07) 3211 4413Fax: (07) 3211 4407Website: <www.landcare.org.au>

October Northern dairy conference Skimming the12-14: cream climax

Subtropical Dairy annual forumMermaid Waters, QldContact:Vivienne McCollumProgram manager Young Dairy NetworkPhone: (07) 4697 9311Mobile: 0428 718 620Email: <[email protected]>

October: International Dairy Federation (IDF) World15-19: Dairy Summit

Parma, ItalyWebsite <www.wds2011.com>

DIARY DATESTo have an event included in the diary dates, sendinformation to Carlene and Alastair DowiePhone/fax: (03) 5464 1542 Email: <[email protected]> or submit to website <www.dairyinfo.biz>

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