Farmers keen to learn

Despite floods, cyclones and uncertainty created by a booming mining sector, Queensland primary producers have again displayed their commitment to improve their businesses by up-skilling in record numbers at AgForce Projects workshops.
This year more than 3000 producers took advantage of the free services on offer from AgForce Projects, covering vegetation management, Reef Rescue, computer mapping and GPS, carbon, leasehold land and coal seam gas (CSG) information sessions.
AgForce Projects manager Sue Dillon said the large number of producers taking advantage of the free services in what could be described as one of the industry’s toughest years is a sign landholders are committed to industry best practice.
“While the year got off to a rough start for many farmers and graziers, we have seen record numbers of landholders attend one of the 174 workshops we delivered across Queensland this year,” Ms Dillon said.
“Landholders have made it clear that they are concerned about the expanding CSG industry with over 1300 landholders attending one of the 54 coal seam gas workshops delivered in Queensland since March,” she said.
“AgForce Projects’ skilled CSG team are glad to be able to bring landholders the independent information and assistance they so desperately need to negotiate with resource companies and help mitigate any potential impacts on their properties and businesses.”
While initially only delivering CSG workshops in the Surat Basin, AgForce Projects successfully secured further funding from the Queensland Government to expand the project into the Bowen and Galilee Basins following mounting requests from landholders in the region eager to access information about the burgeoning industry.
In 2012 AgForce Projects will continue to deliver this vital information to landholders across the Surat, Galilee and Bowen basins.
Ms Dillon said AgForce Projects was also recognised for its efforts in helping landholders recover from the terrible natural disasters of early 2012.
“The spatial services our team provided to more than 700 flood and cyclone affected producers as part of AgForce’s On the Road to rebuilding tour was awarded top prize at the 2011 Queensland Spatial Excellence Awards (QSEA). This achievement recognises the dedication and rapid response of our team to deliver landholders the information they needed to get their farm businesses back up and running.”
The tour was supported by the Queensland Government and visited 22 locations across southern, central and northern Queensland from February to April.
In 2012 AgForce Projects will continue to deliver its free services including a new vertebrate pest project, which will help educate southern Queensland landholders about strategic approaches to pest management.
For more information about the workshops or to register your interest visit www.agforceprojects.org.au or call (07) 3238 6048.
AgForce Projects is a division of AgForce, supported by the Queensland Government and Australian Government Caring for our Country initiative.