Cardinia Shire has commenced the Cardinia Agribusiness Audit project, aimed at producing a comprehensive agricultural audit of the shire. The Audit will identify growth opportunities and challenges faced by the local agribusiness industry. Project objectives include understanding the current state and future potential of our industry; and formulating strategic actions to develop a sustainable and thriving local agribusiness community. The Farming and Food Futures Workshops are an important stakeholder consultation activity to gain industry insights and perspectives.

Two important Agribusiness Audit Activities for industry consultation are:

• Survey (see below)
• Workshops (Farming and Food Futures Workshops - now complete)

Purpose: to invite participation, awareness, call for action, consultation for data collection.

We invite you to participate in Cardinia Shire Council's Agriculture Audit surveys. These surveys are an important stakeholder consultation activity of the Cardinia Agribusiness Audit, aimed at identifying the current status, challenges, opportunities and actions to develop a sustainable and thriving local agribusiness community.

To identify important issues impacting the local industry, individual business viability and to better quantify general production and the economic operating environment.

For Who: Farmers, share farmers, property leasees, agritourism businesses, all property owners with available land to conduct farming and associated activities.

This has been emailed or mailed out to all farm rated property owners (receiving the Farmland, Primary Production or Single Farm Enterprise rate levies) registered with CS Council.

Other unidentified rural property owners who may be full-time or part-time farmers or have vacant rural land and are interested in farming or share farming, are also able to access the farming/property use survey via the following link.

If you are involved in other sectors of the agribusiness industry (i.e. manufacture, post-harvest marketing) or associated organisation, please complete the addition survey sections. On average, these may take 15 minutes to complete.

Focused on identifying the current status, challenges and opportunities for accessing local produce across the value chain in Cardinia Shire.

For Who: Food users, processors, buyers, manufacturers (food/beverage) and value adders and the food service industry (hospitality, cafes, restaurant, retail) and all interested individuals.
(this has also been emailed or mailed out to all businesses premises registered with CS Council)

Feedback from others interested in farming and food.

For Who: Contractors/suppliers (i.e. input, fertiliser, seed, machinery, equipment, farm fencing, soil management, hay/fodder production, logistics export, wholesale) advisors, consultants, service providers, employees of a farming or associated agribusinesses, industry associations or environment-based groups relating to farming and community members.

These surveys will close on June 16th 2024.

Your responses are completely anonymous. For further information see Cardinia Privacy and the FAQ.

The results will enable actions to be identified to better support agribusiness. Thank you for your feedback, advice and support for creating a more dynamic local farming, food and agribusiness environment.

Purpose:

To introduce the Agribusiness Audit, consult, ask for feedback, conduct SWOT analysis, consolidate key themes and challenges, generate ideas and develop actions for success.

For Who:

Agribusiness industry: farmers, all rural property owners, agritourism enterprises, advisors, consultants and service providers, government and utility organisations, farm suppliers and contractors, Landcare, environment/natural resource management agencies, value adders and buyers (wholesale, hospitality, retail, food service, manufacturing, and value chain businesses) and interested stakeholders.

Where & When:

See workshop times, dates and locations below. Note: All workshops are the same and spread across the shire for convenience. Regardless of where you are from (in or outside Cardinia) you can attend any location to contribute. We want stakeholders with views on improving local farming and food sectors to attend.

Cost: Free – Light supper (or lunch) provided.

How to RSVP: To register your attendance please choose the link below to the workshop you would like to attend.