D A I R Y A U S T R A L I A
Dairy Australia is the dairy industry’s services company, owned by industry and whose members are farmers and industry bodies. All Dairy Service Levy payers can become members. Limited by guarantee, the Company is governed by a Board of nine Directors chosen by its members. Its nationwide and international activities are directed from its Melbourne office. Since 1 July 2003, the Company has invested on average $31.3 million a year of dairy farmer levy payments and $15.3 million a year of taxpayer funds in projects and services for the benefit of the Australian dairy industry. Dairy Australia is committed to helping the dairy industry to be collaborative, innovative, sustainable and competitive against both international dairy industries and substitute products. The Company undertakes industry-level activities where a collective approach delivers more effective and valuable commercial outcomes than action taken by individual members. The collective approach also generates synergies for savings through cost economies and the effective capture and sharing of knowledge. Dairy Australia’s operations ensure that the industry can anticipate and respond quickly to changing market circumstances. It delivers services that support the industry’s capacity as a major exporter and mainstay of regional communities in many parts of Australia. Dairy Australia works closely with members to align its activities with their business needs, and acts as an extension of their individual business practices. WHAT WE DO Dairy Australia’s specialist staff drive and deliver programs in research and development (R&D) and on-farm extension; information collection, analysis and dissemination; issues management; national marketing; and international trade development by: o Facilitating R&D activities to identify more profitable/sustainable growth opportunities for the farm and manufacturing sectors; o Assisting rapid transfer/take-up of research into profitable farm and manufacturing practices; o Developing holistic approaches to farm business systems to improve industry return; o Sourcing and providing industry information and market analysis; o Co-ordinating industry responses to meet consumer and regulatory expectations and concerns in areas of food safety and the environment; o Promoting the health and nutritional benefits of dairy products; o Providing trade policy analysis and support to industry and government; and o Enhancing end user awareness and understanding of Australia’s capacity to produce safe, high quality dairy products. The value derived from Dairy Australia’s investment in R&D, and the provision of industry services, is for the ultimate benefit of Dairy Service Levy payers. The Company is divided into operational and internal service business groups. The operational business groups are: o Farm Productivity & Delivery o Technical Issues o Value Chain Innovation o National Marketing o Trade & Strategy. Dairy Australia’s internal service business groups are: o Corporate Services o Corporate Affairs o Human Resources. WHO WE CONSULTED Dairy Australia places a high priority on close and ongoing consultation with industry at all levels of its operation. Consultation took place at the strategic planning level with Group B members i.e. Australian Dairy Farmers Limited and the Australian Dairy Products Federation. Regular meetings were held with state and regional dairy farming organisations and companies as well as government agencies. Dairy Australia also used its industry reference group structures to refine and adjust specific business strategies as market and environmental conditions altered during the course of the year. These changes are reflected in the Company’s five-year Strategic Plan 2008-12 and its Annual Operating Plan 2007/08. Regular consultation ensures Dairy Australia’s work supports the dairy industry’s objectives. It also ensures that Dairy Australia and the dairy industry remain closely aligned to the Australian Government’s National Research Priorities and Rural Research and Development Priorities. Dairy Australia also sought to actively partner with research providers, companies and other industry participants around Australia in the delivery of its programs. Additional funds were sourced for its activities and, more broadly, the Company influenced the total R&D expenditure directed for the benefit of Australia’s dairy industry.