AIA Policy Position Statements
AIA Submissions
Energy Policy: Energy management including its generation, procurement and use, are important for primary producers and the agricultural sector more broadly.
While energy is only one input into the farming sector, it impacts every farmer. The cost of inputs for Australian agricultural production are rising. This increasing cost base is contributing to the reduction of the country's agricultural productivity.
Read the whole policy statement here
Biotechnology and Agricultural Innovation Policy Paper: Advances in biotechnology tools provide opportunities to improve crop and livestock productivity by breeding higher yielding, better quality and more reliable varieties (such as with drought tolerance, insect or disease resistance) that can benefit society in general through improvements in health, the economy and the environment.
Read the whole policy statement here
Biosecurity Policy Paper: Australia’s geographic location and isolation from other agricultural production and trading countries has meant that we have been free of many of the pests and diseases which trouble other producing countries. This has given us a competitive advantage both in costs and reduced complexities of production processes and in the world market place.
Read the whole policy statement here
Agricultural Science and Innovation Policy Paper: Advances in agriculture depend on innovation underpinned by science. These advances lead to improved productivity as well as improved outcomes of the natural resource base, animal welfare, plant and animal quarantine and health, and food safety. They also lead to the development of adaptive management approaches that ensure increased resilience for the agriculture sector in response to system changes including climate change and variability. There are many examples of science-based improvements in agriculture and animal production systems and increasingly these are being enhanced by advances in information technology and data management that enable sophisticated monitoring and evaluation of systems that improve decision making, financial outcome and risk management.
Read the whole policy statement here
Professional Accreditation - A Chartered Agricultural Professional Scheme: Ag Institute Australia (AIA), the body representing agricultural and natural resource management professionals, is sponsoring the development of a national accreditation scheme for professionals working in the Agricultural and the Natural Resource Management Sciences. The scheme under development is voluntary and Chartered Agricultural Professionals (CAPs) will demonstrate that they have the professionalism, commitment, education, expertise and experience to make a difference in a client's business.
Read the whole policy statement here
Mining and co-existence on agricultural land policy statement: Mining and agriculture have been part of the landscape in Australia for many decades. Originally, mining had little impact on agriculture and the legislation in Australia was largely enacted when mining had a relatively small impact on the landscape. Current legislation generally ensures the State owns the mineral resources below the surface of the land and landholders have the rights to farm the surface of the land. This has enabled the State to secure a royalty stream from mining activities, and regulate mining activities. Landholders usually have rights to underground water in aquifers below their farm, but most aquifers now have regulations to prevent over-exploitation. Until recently (the last fifty years or so) mining had little impact on agriculture, but with large-scale mechanisation and the exploitation of underground resources such as coal seam gas, mining and agriculture have struggled to co-exist.
Read the whole policy statement here
Climate change- Agricultures adaptation and resilience to climatic change and variability: Global warming has been on the collective international conscience since at least the middle of the last century. For many decades, the voices of climate and associated scientists have called for recognition of the impact of human activities on climate change, and the need for adaptative developments to a world with a significantly different climate profile. The urgency of that call has intensified in recent decades with the Inter-government Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) publishing its international assessment reports. These reports, issued every few years, have gathered and analysed the latest scientific research in areas related to climate change as well as climate assessments and measurements. The clear result of increasing rapid human induced climatic changes suggests what was once thought to be a problem for future generations is a problem for our current generation and those that immediately follow…
Read the whole policy statement here
The Agricultural Research and Development Model Policy Paper: The current R&D Corporation model was established by the PIERD Act in 1989. (https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2014C00582). This enables the Federal Government to collect a levy from agricultural producers. The rate of the levy is recommended by the relevant industry body and is matched, by Government funds for R&D purposes $ for $ up to 0.5% Gross Value of Production. This model has served Australian agriculture very well. It has enabled Agricultural industries to fund RD&E, which benefits the industry as a whole. However, since their establishment, agricultural RD&E has had major change and the R&D Corporations have responded variously to these changes.
Read the whole policy statement here
Policy Statements under development
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Best Practice Agriculture |
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Education & Training |
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Medicinal Cannabis |
How are policy statements and submissions developed in AIA?
In order to develop its policy positions, AIA uses a member based Special Interest Group called the Advocacy and Policy Special Interest Group (APSIG). The role of the APSIG amongst other things, is to:
Process of Policy Development in AIA
Who are APSIG?
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Turlough Guerin Chair - A&P SIG Dr. Turlough Guerin has 20 years’ experience in corporate environmental management and major projects in the energy, resources, communications technology and construction sectors. Companies he has worked for include First Solar, Telstra, Shell, Rio Tinto, Chevron, and Kaiser Engineers. |
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Andrew Bishop Andrew is employed by the Tasmanian Government as that State’s Chief Plant Health Manager. He has responsibility for the operation of the plant biosecurity system in Tasmania including policy, legislative and regulatory development and plant biosecurity emergency response. Andrew also manages Tasmania’s plant biosecurity and diagnostic laboratories. |
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David Hamilton David Hamilton is a grains and cotton farmer and agricultural consultant specialising in strategies for agricultural Research Development and Extension. Since 1974, he served in various RD&E roles with the Queensland Department of Primary Industries (QDPI) ultimately as General Manager, Plant Science, before retiring from the role in 2012.
Since his retirement from QDPI, in addition to managing the farm business on the Darling Downs, and undertaking consultancy work he has also taken leadership roles in community organisations such as the Basin Sustainability Alliance. |
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Virginia Shaw Virginia's main experience is in business needs analysis, information technology, governance, policy, and strategy development |
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Daniel Tan Dr Daniel Tan is an Associate Professor of Agronomy at the University of Sydney. He graduated from the University of Queensland with a BAppSc (Hort Tech) (Hons 1) in 1991 and a PhD in 1999. In 1993, he was a senior executive at Keppel Land International Ltd in Singapore and led the project management of the US$150 million Sedona Hotel projects in Yangon and Mandalay, Myanmar. In 2003, he accepted a lectureship in agronomy in the Faculty of Agriculture and Environment (FAE). He was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2010 and to Associate Professor in 2015. Daniel is on the Editorial Board of the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture and he was nominated a Director for the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology in 2015. His specific interests within crop abiotic stress are in physiology, especially high temperature tolerance. Research outcomes (e.g. stress detection methods and markers) are used by plant breeders in their development of stress tolerant crops. His ongoing work on abiotic stress and farming systems research in wheat, chickpea, cotton and rice has been supported by the Cotton Research and Development Corporation, the Grains Research and Development Corporation and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. |
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Shaun Coffey Shaun Coffey is an agricultural scientist with a broad work experience in Australis an overseas. He is a former Chief of Division for CSIRO Livestock Industries and CEO of Industrial Research Ltd in New Zealand. Shaun is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and a Companion of the Royal Society of New Zealand. He has current business interests in NZ, the UK, Indonesia and Australia. |
Interested in Policy Development?
If you are an AIA member and interested in joining APSIG please contact your Divisional chair and arrange for a nomination to the board. Similarly if you identify issues of policy significance where you believe AIA should have a policy position advise your Divisional Chair. Alternatively forward your expression of interest and/or advice to admin@aginstitute.com.au
AIA SUBMISSION INTO THE PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION DRAFT REPORT ON REGULATION OF AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURE
AIA Submission into Regulation in Agriculture
SUBMISSION INTO THE PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY ON INNOVATION IN AGRICULTURE 2015
AIA Innovation in Agriculture Submission
GREEN PAPER SUBMISSION 2014
Agricultural Competitiveness Green Paper
SENATE RURAL AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS & TRANSPORT RFERENCES COMMITTEE
RESPONSE TO THE DRAFT MURRAY DARLING BASIN PLAN
Response on Draft Murray-Darling Basin Plan
SUBMISSION TO THE RURAL & REGIONAL AFFAIRS AND TRANSPORT REFERENCES COMMITTEE INQUIRY INTO THE R&D LEGISLATION
Senate Inquiry R&D Levies Oct 2014
TIME FOR SOME EDUCATION ACTION
From the National President, Mike Stephens
The Ag Institute submission prepared for the Senate Inquiry into agricultural tertiary education paints a bleak future for the sector unless there is some drastic action this time round.
The striking point made in the submission, ably compiled by national board member and immediate past president Geoff Thomas, is that all the talk in the world is just so much hot air.
This crisis has been years in the making and a string of previous inquiries have sounded alarm bells which have been largely ignored. Will it be any different this time?
While history suggests not, we can but hope that the excellent points brought out in our concise submission and all the other contributions to this inquiry don’t get pigeonholed away and forgotten.
That will be the challenge for the Institute and its members as the Senate Inquiry enters the public hearings stage – to galvanise some action before it is too late.
You can download here:
AIAST Submission to the Inquiry into the impact of the Murray Darling Plan in Regional Australia (27 January 2010)
The AIAST National President, Mr Geoff Thomas, recently presented the House of Representatives Standign Committee on Regional Australia Inquiry with the AIAST's response into the impact of the Murray-Darling Plan in regional Australia.
The response outlines issues including:
Read the Full AIAST Submission pdf here.
AIAST Submission to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into the Australian Research and Development Corporation
The Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology (AIAST) as the peak body representing agricultural professionals and natural resource managers in Australia strongly supports the current Research Corporation Model and the joint industry/Commonwealth funding formula. This view is based on the strength joint contributions to generate both private and public good outcomes.
AIAST recognises the proven importance of research, development and extension in the growth in productivity of the sector, not only in terms of its benefit to the economy but the critical role agriculture does and will continue to play in the health of the economy, managing natural resources, adjusting to climate change, sustaining rural communities, and in Australia playing its part in feeding a rapidly growing world population.
AIAST is therefore very concerned with the recent cuts by governments to RD&E investment, especially given that the industry and private sectors do not have the capacity to fill the gaps.
Please read the full AIAST Submission pdf
Please read the AIAST Response to the Productivity Commission Draft Report pdf
AIAST Submision for the Inquiry into the Role of Government in Assisting Farmers to Adapt to the Impact of Climate Change.
The AIAST has provided the following submission for the Inquiry into the Role of Government in Assisting Farmers Adapt to the Impact of Climate Change. To view the submission click here .
AIAST Position on the Excellence in Research for Australia Initiative.
Recently the Excellence in Reserach for Australia (ERA) Initiative was launched and the AIAST has submitted comments to this review. To view the Institutes position click on the below link.
AIAST Submission to the Quarantine and Biosecurity Review.
The AIAST provided a submission to the Quarantine and Biosecurity Review on the 21 April 2008. Click on the link to view the submission - AIAST Quarantine and Biosecurity Submission .
AIAST Submission to the Innovation Review.
The AIAST provided a submission to the Innovation Review on the 16 April 2008. AIAST Innovation Review Submission pdf.
Please click on the below links to view AIAST GM Submissions;
FASTS Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies.
The Federation has 56 member societies with its main purpose to:
The Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology has been a member of FASTS since 2001. The Institute is the only member of the Agricultural and Food Science cluster.
AIAST
