L.WAM.2101 - WALRC Chair

Summary

The Western Australian Livestock Research Council (WALRC) is a structure that was initiated by MLA to improve consultation with levy payers and industry stakeholders for the Western Australia (WA) agricultural region and southern rangelands.

The WALRC Chair is a pivotal leadership role working with a wide cross section of producer groups, research, development and adoption (RD&A) agencies and industry representatives from Western Australia's sheepmeat and southern (temperate) beef industries. The WALRC Chair position combines both governance, fiduciary, advocacy and leadership on behalf of the WALRC council, and an administrative function to ensure the smooth running of the operations of WALRC.

Objectives

1. Regional Investment Priorities and research, development and adoption (RD&A) planning and delivery:
a. Deliver regional investment priorities for sheepmeat and grassfed beef research, development and adoption (RD&A) to MLA at a time agreed with the Program Manager – Consultation,
b. Provide representation on the Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) Red Meat Panel (refer to the Red Meat Panel Charter of Operations) to assist in the process of determining investment priorities and maintaining a balanced portfolio,
c. Chair at least eight producer consultation forums per year with organisational support from the EO, co-investors and producer members in the region,
d. Provide a forum for beef and sheepmeat industry and research, development and adoption (RD&A) agencies to review, debate and consolidate RD&A priorities that emerge from the regional committees,
e. Lead WALRC development of new initiatives to improve RD&A planning and delivery.

2. WALRC Strategy and Governance: In conjunction with Executive Officer to develop and implement strategy to move to a more sustainable funding model. Including but not limited to
a. facilitating the WALRC council and Executive Officer in the expansion and maintenance of the producer membership to eight active members,
b. Lead and Chair at least two WALRC council meetings per year including providing guidance to the Executive Officer in developing meeting agendas, facilitating discussions, and maintaining momentum in WALRC's out-of-session activities,
c. Support WALRC to grow industry capability through professional and personal development opportunities for the Council's immediate producer members and succession needs,
d. Work with the Executive Officer and Secretariat to execute the 3-year strategy plan, annual work plan and communications plan in consultation with WALRC, co-investors and MLA to enable effective implementation and reporting,
e. With the Executive Officer develop an annual operating budget for approval by WALRC executive and MLA. Ensure that WALRC operates within approved budgets.

Provide (apolitical) advocacy and leadership in relation to RD&A requirements, direction and value for Australia's sheepmeat and southern grassfed beef sectors by:
a. Participating in relevant discussions/industry workshops or events in Western Australia relating to RD&A program and project development, delivery and implementation in the sheepmeat and southern grassfed beef sectors,
b. Develop and maintain effective relationships between key sheepmeat and southern beef RD&A stakeholders (agencies and industry groups) in WA including reporting to and/or liaising with the Peak Industry Councils (if requested by MLA as required),
c. Encourage and assist producer members to become leaders in their local grower group (GG) with support to establish at least one GG based extension project,
d. Become recognised as a key red meat and livestock representative and contact point for WA levy payers wanting to know how their levy is spent and provide knowledge and information on key MLA initiatives as required.

Manage WALRC Chair time effectively within the 50 allocated days.

Key findings

WALRC have provided a comprehensive list of WA producer R,D&A priorities in each of the 4 years of this Chairmanship. We have developed a rationale development process which explains the context of each priority.
The regional forums deliver a very effective mechanism of awareness raising as well as producer consultationWALRC provide an effective mechanism for the acquisition of producer issues which are relevant to the red meat industries. In doing so, producers are provided with an opportunity to become aware of the outcomes of existing and new research effort and facilitate direct access of key research groups to producers. The outcome is earlier adoption of research output.

Benefits to industry

WALRC provide an effective mechanism for the acquisition of producer issues which are relevant to the red meat industries. In doing so, producers are provided with an opportunity to become aware of the outcomes of existing and new research effort and facilitate direct access of key research groups to producers. The outcome is earlier adoption of research output.

Future research

In the future, this role will be managed by WALRC directly.