• Coronavirus – (COVID-19)
• Individual support helps business workforce planning
• Time to take practical steps for fire preparedness on farm
• The Fast Break – summer outlook with Dale Grey
• Wild dog management a template for feral cat and fox control
• Farm Business Resilience Program – registrations closing 12 October
• Business support to drive agriculture industry recovery
• Getting our lost pets home sooner
• Livestock Biosecurity Grants – applications extended
• eLearning with Agriculture Victoria
• Join the virtual AgriFutures Rural Women's Award national announcement
• My Rain Gauge is Busted podcast
• The Ag Recovery Team is here to help
• Fox and wild dog bounty
• Season two of ‘AgVic Talk’ - latest episodes
• North East Victoria Rural Skills Connect program
• What's on?

Update

Restrictions are currently in place across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria.

Keep up to date with all the latest restrictions, permits and requirements at coronavirus.vic.gov.au.

Victorian Travel Permits

Victoria has a permit system for all domestic travel into Victoria.

The travel permit system is a traffic light system that designates areas across Australia and New Zealand as green, orange, red zones or extreme risk zones according to their public health risk.

Specified worker permits are available to eligible workers who need to enter Victoria from other states.

For information about Victoria’s travel permit system, transiting through other zones to get to Victoria and restrictions on entering from other states, including exceptions and exemptions, visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au.

For up-to-date information on travel restrictions for your state, see Travel updates.

For advice specific to Victorian, NSW and SA cross-border communities in a border bubble with Victoria, see Cross-border communities updates.

Keep up to date with all the latest restrictions, permits and requirements at coronavirus.vic.gov.au.

Horticulture businesses across Victoria are preparing for the upcoming harvest and, for many, managing the workforce will be crucial as they find new ways to attract and retain workers.

To support business to manage this challenge, Agriculture Victoria is providing free, one-on-one Horticulture Workforce Planning sessions with workforce recruitment and HR specialists Meridian Agriculture.

Agriculture Victoria’s Statewide Seasonal Workforce Coordinator Aimee McCutcheon said the sessions will help individuals develop business plans with a focus on identifying workforce needs, attracting and retaining workers and increasing skills development capabilities.

“These free one-on-one sessions will help horticulture businesses to identify where they can improve their HR and recruitment processes,” Ms McCutcheon said.

“This may include offering a workplace that is more inviting, adaptable and inclusive, writing better position descriptions and job ads, finding new sources of workers or reviewing management processes.”  

The sessions are part of Agriculture Victoria’s Horticulture Business Workforce Planning Program, which has included a review of the 2020-21 harvest season, and several industry workshops.

“Agriculture Victoria has been working with industry and farmers and we have heard the challenges businesses experienced last year with seasonal workforce issues,” Ms McCutcheon said.

“We have also heard of the opportunities, where businesses have adapted with new practices, used various labour sources and made their businesses more attractive to workers.”
 
To take part in an individual session, managers or business owners need to register their interest online at https://forms.office.com/r/S1ajNegkFi

The individual business will have a two-hour session with a Meridian Agriculture HR consultant, with a one-hour follow-up session to check progress and gain additional support.

“This is the opportunity to participate in a strategic planning session focusing on the workforce of your business,” Ms McCutcheon said.

“It will give you the opportunity to reflect on what is working well within your business, areas to focus on and create an action plan that will enable you to do everything within your control to attract and manage workers vital to your business.”

To register for a session in October, visit https://forms.office.com/r/S1ajNegkFi

For more information on Seasonal Workforce business support visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/bigharvest

As farmers in the North East and East Gippsland enjoy good spring conditions, it’s a timely reminder to ask, are you prepared for the upcoming fire season?

To encourage landholders to think about fire preparation, Agriculture Victoria is presenting Prepare Your Property, two webinars on Tuesday 11 October for the North East and East Gippsland.

Guest presenter and CFA Community Liaison Officer Allan Cracknell from the Bairnsdale Brigade said the webinars are focussed on practical advice for preparing properties for the fire season.

“There are practical steps people can take now to prepare for the fire season,” Mr Cracknell said.

“You can make sure you have enough fuel on hand for vehicles and pumps, and ensure your property is clearly identified from the road with numbers that can be seen from both directions.”

“To help prevent haystack fires, slash a 5m area around haystacks, and create multiple stacks in separate locations. That way, if a fire does start, you won’t lose all your fodder.”

Mr Cracknell said one of the most important parts of fire preparedness is a clear evacuation plan.

“You need to know where you are going to go, have two evacuation points in case one is blocked, and note down who you will inform that you are leaving. And then do a trial run.

“Planning for a fire doesn’t have to be intimidating or frightening, it’s just simply saying here is my plan, this is what I am going to do.”

North East Agriculture Recovery Manager Kylie Macreadie said these webinars will also provide a good opportunity to hear from local landholders and their insights into preparing a property for fire.

“These guest speakers will provide valuable first-hand experience of fire preparedness with simple, practical steps,” Ms Macreadie said.

“It’s all about thinking and acting now, long before the weather starts to heat up.”

Guest speakers for the East Gippsland webinar include landholders and CFA members Kevin Dean and Ian Brownrigg. The North East webinar will feature CFA Fire and Emergency Management Commander Peter Dedman and landholder Michael Gadd.

The free Prepare Your Property webinars are on Tuesday,12 October, from 7.30 – 8.15pm. Register by 5 pm Tuesday 12 October at https://prepare_your_property.eventbrite.com.au

For details contact Paul Simpson, North East Agriculture Recovery Extension Officer on 0455 750 605 or paul.simpson@agriculture.vic.gov.au, or Tim O’Donnell, East Gippsland Agriculture Recovery Extension Officer on 0448 540 741, or tim.o'donnell@agriculture.vic.gov.au

This webinar, with Ag Vic seasonal risk agronomist Dale Grey, will focus on the current seasonal climate outlook.

The outlook will be based on model projections for rainfall using current oceanic, atmospheric and soil moisture conditions.

These webinars are online presentations during which you can ask questions.

Date and time: 20 October, at 12 pm.

These webinars are recorded, so if you miss the live presentation you can watch it later at a time that suits you.

To register click here

For more information about this webinar, email the.break@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Caption: National Feral Cat and Fox Management Coordinator Gillian Basnett joins a network of national vertebrate pest coordinators covering wild dogs, deer and feral pigs

Strategies proven under the National Wild Dog Action Plan are set to help work undertaken by the new National Feral Cat and Fox Management Coordinator.

Environmental scientist and ecologist Gillian Basnett, of Launceston, Tasmania, has been appointed to the new role with the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, funded by the Australian Government as part of the Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment’s Regional Bushfire Fund.

Gillian specialises in fire ecology, wildlife management and community engagement, environmental education and science communication.

She has worked with many landholder, community and student groups, agencies and not-for-profit organisations across Australia.

Ms Basnett said the standard operational procedures and best practice guidelines established by NWDAP would be used as a model.

“The National Wild Dog Action Plan will be really useful as a template for landscape scale, cross-tenure, coordinated, collaborative, community driven feral predator management,” she said.

“Key learnings of what has worked and what hasn’t will help with planning and engagement particularly for fox control.”

The National Feral Cat and Fox Management Coordinator role joins a network of national vertebrate pest coordinators covering wild dogs, deer and feral pigs.

“As national coordinators with a focus on individual species, we can provide specific information on our pest species that is relevant to landholders, groups, projects, planning and legislation,” Ms Basnett said.

“This is important but we also recognise in most, if not all, landscapes there are multiple threats and pests, often interacting and needing to be managed together to have the desired outcome.

“By having the four coordinators, who work closely together, we can be both targeted in our approach and provide best practice management information, and access to a wider range of networks and partnerships across multiple species.”

Ms Basnett will initially focus on seven priority bushfire-affected regions ranging along the east coast from south-east Queensland to East Gippsland and Kangaroo Island, as well as priority threatened species.

She will be reaching out to landholders, Landcare, and others to help them with community led approaches that mitigate the impact of feral cats and foxes in their local areas.

More broadly, Gillian will be coordinating action and best practice management approaches to control feral cats and foxes nationally.

She will serve on the National Feral Cat Taskforce, chaired by the Threatened Species Commissioner, meaning local action will connect with national action, and build on the feral cat work already being undertaken.

“We all watched in horror as huge bushfires burnt through large areas of Australia in the summer of 2019-20,” she said.

“It has been estimated 3 billion native animals were killed or displaced during these fires. As areas start to regenerate, our wildlife has a chance to recover.

“But cats and foxes will significantly hamper this recovery through increased predation of wildlife sheltering in small areas of unburnt vegetation and more efficient hunting in recovering, but exposed habitats.

“In order to protect the surviving wildlife and help with recovery, it is vital we manage introduced predators effectively and coordinate efforts across the landscape, and I look forward to working with others to help make this happen.”

Agriculture Victoria is offering an exciting new online program for Victorian livestock, grain and mixed farmers.

The Farm Business Resilience Program, which is part of the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, will provide farmers with the opportunity to develop or refresh their Farm Business Plan.

Topics covered in the program include:

• Identifying and managing emerging risks
• Business planning and financial management
• Succession planning and people management
• AgTech and Internet of Things (IoT)
• Seasonal outlooks, managing soils and farm water for the future.

Participants will also be able to access a Farm Business Resilience Resource Library during and after the program, including program worksheets, presentation materials, videos, podcasts, eLearns and useful websites.

To register your interest in participating in the online program, please complete this short survey.

For more information, contact Kit Duncan-Jones on 0427 749 466 or kit.duncan-jones@agriculture.vic.gov.au

The Farm Business Resilience program is jointly funded by the Australian Government and Victorian Government through the Future Drought Fund.

Further information about the program and the Future Drought Fund can also be found on the Agriculture Victoria website.

The Victorian Government is fast-tracking the road to recovery for agriculture and food supply chain businesses in rural and regional Victoria.

Minister for Agriculture Mary-Anne Thomas announced a new $5.2 million Agriculture Resilience and Recovery Program while visiting Mt William Advanced Tree Nursery in Lancefield recently.

The nursery received $35,000 last year as part of the government’s Agriculture Workforce Plan - Business Adaptation program.

The grant enabled the nursery to build a portable lunchroom and expand the existing lunchroom to provide suitable space for workers. Prior to this, staff were forced to split shifts, restrict work days, rotate lunch breaks and work across multiple sites.

The new program provides grants of between $10,000 and $300,000 to support on-farm infrastructure, business upgrades and new facilities to enable businesses to adapt their operations to COVIDSafe settings.

The program provides three types of business support:

• Business Resilience and Recovery – to support businesses to adapt their operations to maintain production and manage risks.
• Place-based Worker Support – to support the development of COVIDSafe worker accommodation.
• Training and Education – to provide support for farm and food processing workers to access information and services and ensure businesses are providing COVIDSafe work practices.

The grants will provide support for businesses as they prepare for upcoming peak seasons including spring shearing, grains harvest and meat processing, and horticulture’s peak picking and packing season.

The Agriculture Resilience and Recovery Program is part of the Government’s comprehensive $84 million support package to assist industry to address workforce challenges brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.

More than $30 million has been provided through the Agriculture Workforce Plan, which has awarded more than 380 grants to assist businesses to create COVIDSafe workplaces, provide worker induction and training, and create additional accommodation and transport facilities.

Businesses have been supported to build COVIDSafe lunchrooms, kitchens, washrooms and other worker amenities, make modifications to processing, packaging and manufacturing lines, create automated entry points, build partitions for workspaces and install temperature checking facilities.

For more information visit agriculture.vic.gov.au.

The Victorian Government is delivering on its election commitment to make sure lost pets get returned home sooner, with legislation to be introduced in Parliament this week.

The change means Victorians will soon be able to take a lost dog or cat to a participating vet clinic or registered animal shelter to be reunited with its owner, rather than relying on councils.

At present, lost cats and dogs must be handed in to an authorised officer in the council area where the animal is found, or to vets and shelters that have an agreement under the Domestic Animals Act 1994.

Surveys show just 23 per cent of vets have a contract with council to accept lost pets and as a result many animals are spending longer in pound and shelter facilities. The proposed reforms will:

• allow shelters and participating vets to accept and reunite lost pets directly with their owners, with simple record keeping and reporting requirements
• improve animal welfare by ensuring lost pets get home as quickly as possible
• reduce burden on local councils, by allowing vets and shelters to assist with direct reunification services
• improve operations for regulatory authorities, including the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) Victoria and Greyhound Racing Victoria.

The Domestic Animals Amendment (Reuniting Pets and Other Matters) Bill 2021 includes a robust verification process to ensure pets are returned to the correct owner.

It also identifies circumstances where pets should go to the council to protect public safety and animal welfare. This includes situations where an animal is declared dangerous, or ownership cannot be verified.

These reforms are important as Victoria has high pet ownership rates, with an average of 665,000 dogs and 215,000 cats registered with councils each year.

Extensive consultation with community and stakeholders including veterinarians, councils, shelters, animal registry (microchip) services, rescue groups and community foster care networks was an important part of the process that led to the final form of the legislation.

The new arrangements will be in effect by 1 October 2022. For more information visit agriculture.vic.gov.au.

Eligible Victorian organisations in the cattle, sheep, goat, swine and honey bee industries now have until Friday 26 November to apply for funding through the Livestock Biosecurity Funds – Grant Program.

Grants are available to fund projects that prevent, monitor, and control diseases, thereby enhancing animal health, biosecurity and market access for the benefit of Victoria’s livestock industries.

Applications are invited from private sector businesses, universities and research institutions, co-operatives, government agencies and local government, and incorporated associations.

Any organisation looking to apply should consider the guidelines and eligibility criteria, review the relevant Statement of Strategic Intent, and complete the online application form.

NEW CLOSING DATE: Applications will close 11.59 pm on Friday 26 November 2021.

For more information, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/livestockbiosecurityfunds or call our Customer Contact Centre on 136 186.

A selection of online courses that can be undertaken at your own pace, at any time and from anywhere with an internet connection.

eLearning provides an accessible and flexible option for learning and expanding your knowledge.

It enables you to enhance your skills without having to attend an event or workshop in person which could be a significant distance from home, or difficult to complete due to time constraints.

To access courses, you will need to create an account.

This will allow you full access to the courses and it will track your progress as you move through them.

Browse the range of courses that can be undertaken at your own pace, at any time and from anywhere with an internet connection.

The land classing application course provides a step-by-step approach to identifying the land class of a particular area of a farm.

Land classing is a fundamental step in developing a Whole Farm Plan. By identifying areas with similar land and soil types you are better able to make informed decisions on what land use is best suited to a certain area.

This tool is based on the Land Classing Kit For Farmers, a booklet written by Nathalie Baxter and John Williamson in 2000.

The course will assist you to identify the capability or land class of your land in a systematic and logical way using your knowledge of the farm and a few simple assessment techniques.

Fencing and managing your land according to its land class will reduce the risk of degradation and in most cases will increase your farm's production.

View the Land Classing Application online course

The AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award National Winner and Runner Up will now be announced via a live virtual National Announcement event on Wednesday, 20 October from 12.30 until 2 pm.

The online festivities will be hosted by the 2019 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award National Winner, Jo Palmer.

The National Winner and Runner Up announcement has moved to a day-time event to encourage Australia-wide online viewing and to cater for different time zones.

Register for FREE to join the virtual National Announcement, alongside viewers from right across Australia.

You will be sent a link to the live stream.

Seasonal forecast models can be tricky and confusing at times, coming in all different shapes and sizes.

That’s why we recently asked seasonal risk agronomist Dale Grey to take us through the different models he’s analysed over the years.

To listen search 'My Rain Gauge is Busted' wherever you usually get your podcasts or listen here: https://go.vic.gov.au/31cuNY

Agriculture Victoria’s Ag Recovery Team is here to support growers in the horticulture industry affected by the June storms and floods across Victoria.

Phone 0427 694 185 or email recovery@agriculture.vic.gov.au or visit the Agriculture Victoria website agriculture.vic.gov.au

Victorian Fox and Wild Dog Bounty collections have resumed in the majority of regional Victoria.

Check the website for the North East and Goulburn Broken collection schedule.

If you are attending a collection centre, you must comply with COVIDSafe principles including using the QR code to check-in, physical distancing, good hygiene practices and wearing a face mask indoors and outdoors (unless you have a lawful reason not to).  agriculture.vic.gov.au/bounty

The new season of the ‘AgVic Talk’ podcast series highlights personal stories of people who have overcome daily challenges.

You’ll hear from a diverse range of people, including rural women and young farmers about how they recover, grow, modernise, protect and promote Victorian agriculture.

Subscribe to AgVic Talk

You can subscribe and listen to AgVic Talk wherever you get your podcasts.

Contact us to learn more about this no-cost program.

• Phone: 1300 834 775
• Web: www.agbizassist.org.au
• Email: info@agbizassist.org.au

AgBiz Assist Ltd t/as Rural Financial Counselling Service Victoria-North East is supported by the Victorian Government.

Details about Agriculture Victoria events can now be found in one spot on our website. Log on to agriculture.vic.gov.au/events to find out what's on.

Livestock producers in North East Victoria and East Gippsland are enjoying a good spring. In the midst of these great conditions, now is the best time to be asking, are you prepared for the coming fire season.

What’s the best way to prepare your property for the fire season? How do you prevent a haystack fire? Do you have a plan to stay and defend your property, or will you leave?  

Agriculture Victoria is hosting Prepare Your Property, top tips to get your farm ready for the coming fire season, two webinars for landholders in East Gippsland and Victoria’s North East.

The presentations will be followed with a short Q&A session.

Presenters for the north east webinar

• Peter Dedman: Commander – Strathbogie Catchment Officer, CFA Fire and Emergency Management
• Michael Gadd – The Glen Pastoral, Walwa.

Topics

• What is the fire season looking like?
• Minimising the risk of fire
• Preventing haystack fires
• Managing the impact of fire
• Agriculture Victoria resources.

When:  Tuesday, 12 October, 7.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost:    Free
RSVP:   Register for your region by 5 pm, Tuesday 12 October at: https://prepare_your_property.eventbrite.com.au

For more information or help with registration please contact Paul Simpson on 0455 750 605 or paul.simpson@agriculture.vic.au

Landscape Opportunity and Options for Carbon abatement Calculator

With increasing interest in carbon abatement in agriculture, the CSIRO has developed a landscape options and opportunities for carbon abatement calculator.

Date: Tuesday 12 October

Time: 12 – 1 pm 

Cost: Free

Register online

In this webinar, LOOC-C team member Dr Stephen Roxburgh will provide an introduction to this tool and explain some of the background to it.

LOOC-C estimates carbon abatement via an emission factor database, giving producers information to assess potential changes to carbon by undertaking various tree or soil carbon activities on their land.

By visiting https://looc-c.farm/ you can use the map interface to select a potential project area and help start the conversation of carbon abatement options for your farm business.

Presenter – Dr Stephen Roxburgh, LOOC-C program leader, CSIRO

Stephen is a recognised leader in terrestrial plant ecology and greenhouse gas accounting, with over 20 years' experience in the field measurement and computer modelling of forest growth and carbon cycling. He currently leads the Natural Capital group within CSIRO.

Knowing what assets you have on your property is essential when it comes to managing a major disruption to your business, whether it’s a fire, flood or storms. It’s impossible to recall everything you have stored in that now burnt down shed.

Agriculture Victoria’s Insuring Farm Assets webinar will discuss the importance of asset inventories, and the things you need to consider when it comes to insuring fences, fodder and stock.

One of the big issues in making insurance decisions and claims is having an accurate inventory list and an understanding of its true value. Not only is this information useful for preparing insurance decision and claims, it’s also particularly helpful for annual tax returns.

Presenter, Michael Myers, Adroit Insurance and Risk – Michael has 35 years’ experience in the insurance industry and provides insights on how to approach insurance, what you need and what your insurance will cover. 

Topics to be discussed:
• The importance of asset inventories
• Creating simple and easy asset inventories
• How to get your farm fence insurance right
• How to insure your cattle and fodder reserves
• What is ‘self-insured’ and what are the implications for your business.

Date:     Tuesday, 19 October 
Time:     7.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost:      Free
RSVP:   Register for this online webinar by 5 pm, Tuesday 19 October via EventBrite at: https://insuring_farm_assets.eventbrite.com.au

Contact: Paul Simpson, Agriculture Recovery Extension Officer on 0455 750 605 or at paul.simpson@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Do you buy or sell livestock privately, online or through saleyards? Do you know the NLIS requirements for livestock movements?

Agriculture Victoria is delivering interactive online training sessions for livestock producers using the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) database. There are two events for you to choose from, between October and November.

Participants will learn about the Victorian traceability system, tour the NLIS database features and be shown how to complete a Property to Property (P2P) transfer.

SESSION PLAN
Part 1: Overview of the Victorian traceability system

• Self-paced online learning (30 minutes)

Part 2: Navigating and using the NLIS database. Zoom meeting (1.5 hours).

• Watch a live demonstration of the NLIS database over a Zoom meeting.
• Access the training NLIS database to practise completing Property-to-Property (P2P) transfers.
• Question and answer session.

Monthly webinars – date and time (Part 2: Zoom meeting)

Wednesday 27 October, 11 am – 12.30 pm
Click here to register

Wednesday 24 November, 9 – 10.30 am
Click here to register

Book your free tickets by clicking on the links above or online agriculturevictoriaevents.eventbrite.com

For more information - or if you have trouble registering online - please call 0427 681 714.

Numbers will be limited to allow for an interactive session.

OTHER INFORMATION

Participants are encouraged to set up their NLIS account prior to attending the webinar.

Access the NLIS database at www.nlis.com.au
For more NLIS information click here

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