AAP: Wool industry sheepish over North Korea

(*Watch Senator McKenzie question AWI CEO Stuart McCullough here.) BY Matt Coughlan Australian wool’s market research arm identified North Korea as a potential export option despite harsh trade sanctions against the oppressive dictatorship. Australian Wool Innovation, which is funded half through farmers’ levies and half by taxpayers, has come under fire for naming the rogue…

Nationals urged watchdog to call out discriminatory practices by banks against rural industries

Nationals Senators are calling on the big banks to stop putting their politically charged climate policies ahead of the jobs of hardworking Australians. Leader of the Nationals in the Senate and Senator for Victoria, Bridget McKenzie, along with NSW Nationals Senator Perin Davey, used today’s Senate Estimates to urge the industry’s watchdog to call out…

STOCK AND LAND: Wool industry reminded to beware trading with North Korea

(Watch the senate estimates exchange between Senator McKenzie and AWI CEO Stuart McCullough here.) By Chris McLennan Australia’s wool industry was given a slap on the wrist in Federal Parliament yesterday for inadvertently planning to breach trade sanctions against North Korea. Australian Wool Innovation chief executive officer Stuart McCullough came under tough questioning in a…

ABC RURAL: North Korea highlighted as emerging market by Australian Wool Innovation

(*Watch estimates exchange between Senator McKenzie and AWI CEO Stuart McCullough here.) By national rural reporter Kath Sullivan Australia’s major wool research and marketing body has been forced to back down after identifying North Korea as an emerging market for Australian producers in a strategic document. The taxpayer and farmer-funded Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) listed the rogue…

Inland Rail Sponsorship An Immediate Boost For Northern Victorian Communities

Community groups in northern Victoria continue to benefit from the Inland Rail Community Sponsorships and Donations Program with four new groups sharing in more than $10,000 of grant funding in the seventh round of the program. The Inland Rail Sponsorship and Donations program provided: $2,000 for the Broadford Town Tennis Club to upgrade their lighting…

SHEEP CENTRAL: No WoolQ revenue after $6.3 million spent over five years

(*Watch Senator McKenzie’s exchange during senate estimates with AWI chief operations officer John Roberts here.) By Terry Sim AUSTRALIAN Wool Innovation has spent $6.3 million in growers’ levy funds on the WoolQ Market platform over the past five years but it has failed to generate any revenue, Senate Estimates was told yesterday. Rural and Regional…

The Nationals secure Government commitment to maintain Regional Forestry Agreements

At today’s Senate Estimates, the Nationals Senate Team secured a commitment from government that they will keep the Regional Forestry Agreements (RFAs) and reject the recommendations from Professor Samuel’s review into the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. “As the Assistant Minister for Forestry, my view is that we stick with RFAs, they are something…

Councils on Road to Recovery in Indi

Local road maintenance in the Indi electorate will receive a boost thanks to funding under the Australian Government’s Roads to Recovery Program. The Liberal and Nationals government would deliver over $157.3 million to 380 local government authorities nationwide for safer and better-maintained roads. Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie said that includes more than $2.5 million for roads…