Grow NTMagazine -NT Farmers - December 2021

GROW 

NT 

The Latest news from NT Farmers 

December 2021

Contents. 

2021 

6 President's Update 

10 CEO's Update 

16 Recognising Greg Owens 

20 The Northern Agenda 

3 

22 Office Of North Australia 

24 R, D & E Special 

40 Workforce Information 

48 NT Farmers Staff Updates 

NT FARMERS GROW NT MAGAZINE.

2018 

2019 

NT Farmer’s mission is to assist 

the NT plant based agricultural 

4 5 

industry reach $1 billion in farm 

gate output by 2030. 

www.alexkoin.com 

Mauris ligula sollicitudin. Maecenas netus, vivamus mollis dui.

+ Grow NT 

www.ntfarmers.org.au 2021 

Update from the 

President. 

Simon Smith 

As another Covidus interruptus year nears an 

end, and sweat seems to saturate our clothing 

ever earlier in the day, it’s probably not a great 

time to ask a favour but here goes anyway… 

we need you to fill out a survey! In the tradition 

of all good surveys we’ll be giveaway a free 12 

month membership but breaking with tradition 

we won’t humbug you further. 

6 7 

The focus of the survey and this Newsletter 

is RD&E. I’ve written on this topic a number of 

times during my tenure as chair reflecting its importance 

as the engine room for the continued 

development of our sector. To be an effective 

advocacy voice for growers, and to allocate our 

own internal resources to their best advantage, 

we need to understand your priorities as growers 

and allied traders. 

We are finalising a ten to twelve question survey 

for members to complete during January and 

February. We need to know your research and 

development priorities and how and by whom 

you feel extension is best delivered. Is DITT and 

its seven research farms delivering value for 

farmers or have some of our R&D priorities shifted 

towards water, land clearing and environmental 

issues within the Department of Environment, 

Parks and Water Security? Is CDU or on-farm collaborative 

research the way of the future? 

Does on-line learning cut it as extension , are 

field days and farm visits still valued? Should it 

be Government or industry led? 

The larger the participation rate the more powerful 

the data becomes to help guide the strategic 

direction of NTFarmers, to influence spending by 

the NTG and funding bodies such as the RDC’s 

and CRC’s and resource allocation within and between 

departments and within alternative institutions 

like CDU. 

Responses will remain anonymous although the 

R&D sub committee may need to reach out to individual 

growers with specific needs as it prioritises 

research projects. 

As we open the door to possible change and innovation 

in RD&E it is somewhat ironic that three 

greats of the RD&E space have announced their 

retirements. 

Greg Owens’ ‘retirement’ theoretically marks the 

end of a relationship with farmers across the Territory 

that has spanned three decades of passionate 

and selfless dedication. Thankfully, Greg will 

remain involved with NTFarmers as a consultant. 

Greg’s communication and education skills 

have made him synonymous with extension and 

adoption amongst farmers. His praises are sung 

elsewhere in this newsletter however I believe he 

leaves three great legacies: 

1. Driving the uptake of more environmentally sustainable 

farming practices. Through direct grower 

engagement and education, championing the establishment 

of the IPM trial plot at Coastal Plains 

Research Station and leading our Water Productivity, 

Efficiency and Sustainability project. 

2. Fighting to ensure ‘return to trading’ became 

the key priority of biosecurity outbreak responses 

in the NT (With great assistance from both Sarah 

Corcoran and Ann Walters the response to the 

recent Citrus Canker outbreak saw Territory fruit 

back in interstate markets within four months. An 

Australian record by a long margin). 

3.Helping build a strong farmer focused culture at 

NT Farmers. Through mentoring staff and advocacy 

to the Board ,Greg has ensured the interests 

of all farmers, regardless of size or commodity, 

remains our number one priority. 

There were two other very significant retirements 

this year that deserve recognition. 

After a combined almost eighty years of “industry 

first” advancement of horticulture across the 

NT, Mark “The Mighty Dees” Hoult and Mark “St. 

Kilda” Traynor are retiring this year. We will celebrate 

their achievement in more detail in the first 

newsletter of 2022 however for now, on behalf of 

the NT’s horticultural family, I want to thank these 

two humble research legends for laying much of 

the foundations on which our melon mango, citrus, 

Asian vegetable and table grape and sectors 





have been built. They have also been instrumental in 

developing new varieties for the nursery and cut flower 

sectors and driving innovation in the emerging Jack 

Fruit and Passionfruit industries. Your dedication and 

professionalism is recognised by all farmers who had 

the privilege of working with you. 

Two Board members are also stepping aside this year. 

Bruce Toohill who has been an active and engaged 

Board member since his election two years ago has 

resigned after taking up a new position. Bruce has 

been a strong advocate for NT Farmers to remain 

connected to grass roots members and keep their 

needs as a high priority. As a former researcher himself 

Bruce was a strong supporter of the formation of 

our R&D sub-committee. 

8 

Joe Martin-Jard is also leaving the Board after one 

year as a skill-based director due to his increasing 

workload. As many will be aware Joe is the acting 

CEO of the Northern Land Council while Marion Scrymgour 

campaigns for the seat of Lingiari. Joe intends 

to remain involved with NT Farmers and is particularly 

keen to champion regional farming development opportunities 

in collaboration with aboriginal people. I 

want to personally thank Joe for regularly making the 

time to provide me with sage advice 

Finally, a few other big thankyous. To our amazing 

team at NT Farmers, so ably lead by CEO Paul, who 

have worked magic at times to keep farmers farming. 

To the leaders within DITT and DEPWS who have 

focused like never before on our needs both urgent 

and on-going. To the unsung staff within those departments 

who did the grunt work when COVID threw 

harvest labour and other plans into disarray. To my 

fellow Directors and particularly executive members 

Frank, Kate and Martina thanks from myself and the 

membership for your wisdom, support and many voluntary 

hours throughout the year. 

Lastly, to all our members, those who have toiled 

through a tough and unpredictable year and those 

suppliers, logistics companies, agents, labour providers 

and many others who have supported and enabled 

that toil, thankyou for keeping our industry strong. 

I wish everyone a safe and loving festive season and a 

healthy and prosperous 2022 

Become a Member of NT 

Farmers 

Click here to download a 

regristration form



CEO Update. 

Paul Burke 

2019 

A year in review. 

10 11 

www.ntfarmers.org.au 

With 2022 upon us it is important to 

reflect on the year gone, celebrate 

successes and learn from mistakes, 

but most importantly plan for the 

future. It is easy to say this in the 

current times, although now more 

than ever planning is so critical for 

all businesses. Our borders are tentatively 

reopening to both National 

and International Travel which will 

greatly assist growers, contractors 

and employees to move more freely. 

The labor market will remain very 

tight for the foreseeable future. 

NT Farmers has had considerable 

success in 2021, following on from 

a very successful 2020. Most notable 

of these successes has been the 

negotiation and ultimate success of 

bringing seasonal workers in. The 

flights arrived right on time and were 

a welcome boost of fresh workers 

and allowed mango growers to deliver 

a strong crop to market. I would 

like to extend my sincere thanks to 

all those in the public service both 

here in the Territory and Canberra, 

this could not have been achieved 

without your dedication and professionalism. 

An agriculture visa is imminent, NT 

Farmers and NTMIA have put significant 

efforts in over better part of a 

decade to achieve this. The visa will 

compliment the existing seasonal 

worker and pacific labor schemes. 

Some of the key attributes will be 

it has mobility, is a pathway to residency 

and open to more countries 

is a great outcome for industry. NT 

Farmers have been at the table in 

many of the key discussions in designing 

the visa. The achievement 

of delivering an Ag visa for industry 

should make all those involved 

proud. 

NT Farmers staff assisted many of 

our members and growers with direct 

support to move staff around 

and in many cases bring them in 

from interstate, both Hot spots and 

not and played a small role in assisting 

all growers achieve some solid 

results. 

Workforce has been an extremely 

important component of what we 

have achieved. A special note of 

thanks to Aisla Connelly and Jenny 

Hill (DITT) for your patience and 

tireless work, an industry thanks you 

both. 

NT Farmers has also worked extremely 

hard in the water space and 

have pushed for the overland flow 

capture and we are confident that 

this policy will be out early 2022 for 

comment and farmers should be 

able to apply for this water at some 

point in 2022. 

NT Farmers was a key partner in 

delivering a Drought and Innovation 

Hub, this initiative involved Charles 

Darwin University (CDU) as lead 

proponent and all the key agricultural 

and land managers at the table 

to better deliver direct outcomes 

for farmers. To date the hub has 

bought in over $10M in funding to 

run programs across our region. NT 

Farmers will lead a NODE (branch) 

in Katherine for the Drought and Innovation 

Hub. 

2021 also saw NT Farmers in partnership 

with ORDCO deliver the 2021 

Food Futures conference. This conference 

has grown to be the largest 

agricultural conference in North 

Australia with over 500 engaged 

delegates. The theme this year was 

Balancing Agricultural Development 

with the Environment. The conference 

was an outstanding success 

and delivered a strong financial re- 




12 

sult to support your organisation. 

As anyone in business knows 2021 

was another particularly challenging 

year and no different for NT Farmers, 

Environmental Approvals processes 

continued to be complex and public 

attention is focused on our industry 

closely. The Western Davenport area 

and cotton development are two key 

areas. With the Cotton Gin at Tarwoo 

up out of the ground and due for opening 

in July 2022, the cotton industry is 

firmly entrenched in the Northern Territory. 

NT Farmers in partnership with 

Northern Territory Governments, Jobs 

Fund and Growers from the Western 

Davenport are undertaking significant 

planning studies to guide the further 

development of that region. 

The 3 large Land Corp blocks, in Wildman, 

Larrimah and the Keep are close 

to finalization and will have operators 

on the in 2022. This will be a welcome 

boost to our industry and will 

help stimulate significant investment 

in agriculture. 

As an organisation (NT Farmers) have 

invested significantly in building our 

capacity to deliver for our members. 

NT Farmers have more on the ground 

staff than ever before. We have in- 

NT Farmers are proudly supported by 

vested in a fulltime role in Katherine, Simone 

Cameron accepted the role of Director 

of Regions and Projects. 

With Greg Owens retiring in December 

this year after a decade with NT Farmers 

and 25 + years supporting the industry I 

would like to pay my absolute respects for 

the tireless service Greg has given to the 

industry. I am please to advise that Greg 

will still be involved with NT Farmers in a 

consultancy role in the area of biosecurity. 

We are truly thankful to retain Greg’s corporate 

knowledge. 

We have also grown from a staff of 5 to 

a staff of 15 over the last few years. This 

year we have welcomed Dominic Calder 

as Diversification Officer, Mariah Maughn 

joined NT Farmers as an Education Officer. 

Amelie Corriveau joined NT Farmers 

in Vegetable Extension role. NT Farmers 

will continue to ensure we have resources 

available to support growers achieve the 

most in their businesses. 

NT Farmers have also invested significantly 

in Research and Development and 

have over 15 projects currently running. 

Patrick Moran has come on to run an Environmental 

Approvals Capacity building 

project, Camilla Philip is completing a major 

study into supply chains (in partnership 

with CRCNA), Di Renfree is into her second 

year of NT Farmers Water Efficiency and 

Sustainability project. 

NT Farmers earlier in the year commenced 

as the Harvest Trail Provider for the NT (& 

Northern WA) this employment service 

was well utilized by growers this year, we 

have welcomed Imran North to this role 

and he is assisted by Debbie Bisongo and 

Alannah Christofis. 

As an organisation we have also invested 

in the use of consultants to assist with 

specific parts of projects and to increase 

our capacity. Our media presence has 

grown, and the professionalism of our 

newly launched website is a credit to Iain 

Forrest our Policy and Comms Guru. 

The Forestry Industry Association which 

NT Farmers is a founding member of also 

has a very successful year winning in excess 

of $1M in Federal Government Funding 

to establish a Forestry Hub to drive 

research, development and extension outcomes 

in the North, Mark McGrath has 

been appointed to the role of Hub Director. 

NT Farmers continues to deliver upon its 

strategic plan and the key Pillars for our 

plan are: 

1. Research, Development and Extension 

2. Biosecurity 

3. Sustainable Growth 

4. Workforce and Education 

5. Good Governance and Financial Security. 

I pleased to say we are on a very solid path 

to furthering all these key outcomes. 

Your elected board have continued to give 

freely and willingly to support my to do my 

job, I thank them all. To Simon, our President 

thank you on behalf of all staff and 

members your dedication and professionalism 

during these complex times. 

Lastly, I would like to close out 2021 with a 

couple of specific acknowledgments and 

also NT Farmers proudest achievements. 

This year at the Food Futures Conference 

NT Farmers instituted a new award, The



14 

Ian Baker award for Excellence in Agriculture, 

the inaugural winner Mr. Ian 

Baker was the worthy winner. 

NT Farmers in partnership with Entegra 

Signature Structures Launched the 

Kenneth Rayner Scholarship to help 

develop the next generation of leaders 

in our great industry. The successful 

scholar for this honor was Ellie Ireson 

(right). I wish Ellie all the best in her 

studies. 

To all our members, supporters, followers 

and friends have a great Christmas 

and a much less complicated 

2022. Thank you.


Recognising Greg Owens 

Simone Cameron 

ence Committee Lead Ian Baker echoed these sentiments.“Greg 

always gives good advice and he’s a 

good sounding board for ideas,” Ian said. 

“He has been a good contributor to many projects and 

is always polite, respectful and well-meaning.” 

Greg’s passion for industry is undeniable and he imparts 

this always effortlessly to others. He has worked 

tirelessly with growers – particularly our non-English 

speaking Vietnamese and Cambodian growers – to 

ensure that any R&D works in practice, often tailoring 

individual solutions as required. 

years,” Marrakai grower Chris Pham said. 

“He has made a tremendous impact on us through 

imparting his wealth of knowledge, which in turn has 

allowed us to grow in the field of horticulture. He will 

be greatly missed, and we hope he gets the break that 

he truly deserves." 

Greg was instrumental in the development of a National 

Extension Policy as a member of National Management 

Committee, which is the Australian and Pacific 

Extension Network (APEN). 

16 17 


Greg Owens is a well-respected horticulture industry 

member. He has immense knowledge 

of the industry and growing conditions in the 

Northern Territory, having worked in the Top 

End for 35 years as an agricultural educator, 

extension officer, grower, researcher, and industry 

development officer. 

Greg’s extensive industry knowledge, experience 

and networks helps growers with their 

technical, regulatory, development and biosecurity 

issues. His loyal, reliable, valiant efforts 

and dedication to the north have been instrumental 

for the exciting growth the industry has 

seen. 

Greg is a mentor, a role model, an advocate, 

a stalwart who continually nominates himself 

to support and assist in whatever capacity is 

asked of him from R&D through to extension 

and adoption. 

His network spans far and wide and even writing 

this article, it is hard to capture all what 

Greg has done and does for the industry. Conversations 

with Greg are always insightful, 

thought-provoking and extremely enlightening. 

You always leave the conversation knowing so 

much more than when you began the conversation; 

in hindsight, recording them would 

have been valuable. How one person can retain 

so much is beyond admirable. 

Northern Australia Food Futures Confer- 

In addition, Greg has held a position on Hort Innovation’s 

Vegetable Consumer Alignment Strategic 

Investment Advisory Panel. In 2016, Greg was recognised 

for his tireless efforts to protect and maintain 

Northern Territory’s biosecurity – along with his community 

spirit and engagement with the Northern 

Territory growing community – when he took home 

the DuPont Community Stewardship Award at the 

2016 National Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner. 

The early years 

Greg and his young family moved to the Northern 

Territory in 1984, where he began teaching at Darwin 

High School as a senior chemistry teacher. Past students 

some of whom Greg remains in constant contact 

with recall his passion for science, along with his 

enthusiasm and dedication. 

In 1999, Greg took on the role of Horticulture Extension 

Officer with the Department of Primary Industry 

and Fisheries. For the next nine years, there were a 

lot of meetings with different grower groups, including 

the establishment of a Vietnamese grower group. It 

respects Greg’s commitment to them over the years. 

"On behalf of the Vietnamese Horticultural Association, 

I would like to thank Greg for the ongoing support 

and assistance that he has provided us over the 

In 2008, he returned to teaching at a rural regional 

school – Taminmin College – where he assisted with 

the management of the school farm and initiated 

many improvement projects; many of these outcomes 

are still valuable today. 

Greg also joined the NT Agriculture Association as 

a project officer, where he focused on irrigation and 

land management practices to help support the growing 

industry. He juggled both his teaching and support 

roles for a few years and used his networking opportunities 

to immerse his students in highly engaging 

extensio activities. 

Dedication to NT Farmers 

In 2013, Greg left his secondary teaching role to commence 

a full-time role as Vegetable Grower Extension 

Officer with the newly named NT Farmers. NT Farmers 

was a significant merging of the NT Ag Association 

and NT Horticultural Association. 

During his time at NT Farmers, Greg used his natural 

abilities and experience to tailor his dedication to his 

work by putting it into practice. 

He put a significant amount of effort into fostering 

awareness on the benefits of using Integrated Pest 

Management (IPM) along with understanding tropi- 



opment Manager (IDM) and he was asked to step 

into the role as NT Farmers’ CEO the following 

year. 

“Greg has been the strength behind the success 

NT Farmers,” Simon said. "Through his tireless efforts 

he has ultimately improved the level of confidence 

in our growers by forging trusting relationships 

with them, doing so without bias.” 

Greg handed the CEO position over in 2019 and returned 

to his IDM role. Greg’s ability to be involved 

in numerous key industry drivers is insurmountable 

and he is to be credited for this. A highlight 

was the organisation and leading a group of Top 

End farmers on a 10-day tour of Punjab, India. 

Greg is passionate about helping and supporting 

our growers obtain the best possible outcomes. 

The entire NT industry and beyond applauds his 

commitment to value-adding to the north. Greg 

has become a Territory legend for the vegetable 

industry, which was all but non-existent when he 

first arrived in town. He has fostered, encouraged 

and supported a handful of equally keen and passionate 

farmers who believed in him, believed in 

the north and its potential future. 

"He has single-handedly been instrumental in the 

development and implementation of our northern 

Australia biosecurity regulations and has provided 

important stability for industry.” 

Today this industry is worth over $61 million – 

this is a remarkable achievement driven through 

the passion and dedication of industry experts 

such as Greg. 

18 19 

cal soils and developing adequate biosecurity 

plans through numerous extension opportunities. 

"Greg’s a farmers friend, and an exemplary 

extension officer with a passionate focus on 

promoting, delivering and supporting R, D&E 

and its adoption,” NT Farmers President Simon 

Smith said. 

dustry, Greg ensured that growers impacted by 

these incursions were operational as soon as 

possible with minimal damage. He ultimately 

became the rock necessary to keep industry 

moving and developing. 

Northern Territory’s Chief Plant Health Officer, 

Dr Anne Walters, praised Greg’s commitment 

to biosecurity across the Top End. 


“One of his great strengths is he knows how 

to put work into practice, tailoring solutions to 

individual farmers needs as required.” 

The banana freckle outbreak followed by the 

cucumber green mottled mosaic virus incursion 

which affected the melon crops kept Greg 

extremely busy and cemented the valuable relationships 

he has with growers and his ability 

to serve as a conduit between them and the 

wider industry. 

Through his straight-up conversations with in- 

"Greg’s knowledge, expertise and skills have 

made him a fantastic partner for the NT plant 

biosecurity team over many years. Through 

Greg, we have been able to forge exceptional 

outcomes for industry in terms of eradication, 

trade and market access, and research and 

development,” Dr Walters said. 

“Greg’s commitment to the horticultural industry 

of the Northern Territory is inspirational. He 

will be truly missed.” 

In 2016, Greg’s title changed to Industry Devel- 



The Northern Agenda. 

Senator Susan McDonald 

The Northern agenda has been constrained by 

southern thinking. The thinking that does not 

have the necessary sense of urgency and focus 

on why we should care about developing the 

North. 

A recent tour of the Northern Territory through 

Alice Springs, Katherine and Darwin with Northern 

Australia Minister, David Littleproud highlighted 

the unbridled capacity of our region to 

mine, make, build and grow. 

20 21 

As the southern states ground to a halt because 

of Covid, Northern Australia continued to contribute 

enormously to a strong economy and a 

rosy future for our country. 

success story, growing bananas, mangoes, pumpkins 

and pineapples for distribution right around the country. 

I spoke to head grower, Mark Smith about his operation 

and how he's benefiting from the Federal Government's 

Ag Visa program to get Vanuatu workers on-farm and 

making sure great Aussie produce makes it to market. 

It’s from my conversations with these businesses and 

many others that I have formulated what I see as the 

Four Pillars that must be established to grow Northern 

Australia. 

They are: 

• Affordable and reliable electricity 

• Access to insurance and finance 

• Suitable infrastructure, namely road, rail and flight 

• And fourthly, high quality medical care, aged care 

and childcare. 

It’s on these Four Pillars that I will be focusing my advocacy 

efforts for as long as I’m a Senator and Special 

Envoy for Northern Australia. 

We as leaders in the North must ensure we are communicating 

effectively and working outside of our own agencies 

and businesses, reaching out to other like-minded 

people across government and regions to ensure we 

have leveraged every agency, every announcement and 

every budget dollar to realise the North in all her glory. 

Minister Littleproud calls this “policy harmonisation”, 

and it is the key to expanding on the work already done. 

I want governments to positively discriminate in favour 

of the North and we can achieve that with the help of a 

collective voice and passion. 

Susan McDonald is a Queensland LNP Senator and 

Special Envoy for Northern Australia 


Our tour started in Alice Springs at the Nolans 

Bore rare earths mine which – thanks in part to 

a $100 million loan from the Northern Australia 

Infrastructure Facility – will sustain 280 ongoing 

jobs including for a large proportion of indigenous 

people, and will generate 650 jobs in the 

construction phase. 

We also joined NT Senate Candidate, Jacinta 

Price and Alice Springs Mayor and Country Party 

candidate for Lingiari, Damien Ryan to announce 

the Federal Government’s commitment 

of $13.5 million to increase food security for remote 

communities. 

The NAIF will provide this $13.5 million loan to 

redevelop a food storage and warehouse facility 

in Alice Springs with the facility to service over 

100 local stores covering an area of 1.4 million 

square kilometres. 

This project will support 60 new jobs during construction 

and 20 jobs during operations, and is a 

vital facility to keep food fresh and provide essential 

goods to communities in the North. 

The Humpty Doo Barramundi aquaculture project 

south-east of Darwin is also powering ahead 

thanks to support from the Morrison Government 

and the NAIF which made about $30 million 

available for expansions. 

Darwin Fruit Farm is another Northern Australia 




All about the Office of 

Northern Australia. 

Office of Northern Australia 

22 23 

Northern Australia is a diverse and 

vibrant region rich with opportunities 

to drive jobs and investment growth 

for the benefit of all Australians. The 

Office of Northern Australia (ONA) 

plays an integral part in the economic 

and social development of 

the north, actively implementing the 

Australian Government's ‘northern 

agenda’, in close collaboration with 

a diverse range of partners across 

government, industry, and the community. 

The key underpinning framework for 

the northern agenda is the 2015 Our 

North, Our Future: White Paper on 

Developing Northern Australia. This 

White Paper sets out the long term 

policy vision for northern Australia's 

sustainable economic development. 

Working across Queensland, the 

Northern Territory, and Western 

Australia, the ONA provides the Government 

with policy advice and analysis 

across a wide range of areas, 

and actively spreads awareness of 

northern Australia as a strategic location 

for business investment and 

a wonderful place to live. 

In 2021, the ONA has been supporting 

the implementation of major 

reforms to the $5 billion Northern 

Australia Infrastructure Facility; 

spreading awareness of the CRC for 

Northern Australia’s industry-led research 

and development; attending 

and funding conferences and events 

across northern Australia; supporting 

the Minister for Agriculture and 

Northern Australia, The Hon David 

Littleproud MP and Special Envoy for 

Northern Australia, Senator Susan 

McDonald; and launching the Northern 

Australia Development Program 

(NADP). 

The NADP is a key initiative of the 

next phase of the White Paper - Our 

North Our Future 2021-2026. The 

new $111.9 million program is designed 

to help grow businesses 

and industries in northern Australia. 

Grants of between $50 000 and 

$2 million will be available for small 

to medium enterprises while larger 

businesses can access grants of 

between $3 million and $10 million. 

"Northern Australia is home to more 

than 96,000 businesses, so there is 

enormous growth,” said Minister 

Littleproud. “These grants are an 

opportunity to transform an industry, 

create new jobs and secure the 

future of your business.” 

Our North, Our Future 

Guidelines for the NADP grant program 

are available from business. 

gov.au. Applications open on 4 

November 2021, with grants to be 

awarded from February 2022. 

For more information about the 

ONA’s activities and programs, visit 

www.northernaustralia.gov.au 

or follow the ONA on LinkedIn and 

Twitter @OfficeNorthAus. 

NT FARMERS GROW NT MAGAZINE. 



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R,D&E - Driving The 

Industry Forward. 

Paul Burke 


Successful agriculture requires 

constant innovation, research and 

product development. In the highly 

competitive and globalised industry, 

farmers must always look for new 

opportunities to gain an edge over 

other producers. 

24 25 

To assist the Territory plant based 

agricultural sector to grow and remain 

competitive, NT Farmers in 

partnership with the NT Government, 

have established a Research, 

Development and Extension (R,D&E) 

committee. The committee will play 

a critical role in attracting and implementing 

R&D activities for industry. 

If you are a producer, the newly established 

committee requires your 

help and feedback in identifying what 

R,D&E activities are needed in the 

NT. At the end of this month, a survey 

will be available for all industry 

members to help direct investment 

into potential R&D activities. 

The survey will consist of a simple 

online form which will be on the NT 

Farmers website and shared through 

our social media channels. Hard 

copy survey forms will be available 

and NT Farmers staff will assist producers 

with the surveys if required. 

It is essential that as many people 

working in the industry complete the 

survey as possible. For too long, R&D 

activities have not been directed towards 

the real needs of farmers and 

the industry. The survey, based on 

industry needs, will allow NT Farmers 

to strongly advocate for R&D investment 

into critical areas. 

Survey results will be analysed and 

published in the first quarter of 

2022. The R,D&E committee which 

consists of government and industry 

bodies will attract funding and 

review R&D proposals. NT Farmers 

and the NT government will work 

collaboratively to align funding and 

projects with the needs of industry 

as outlined by industry. 

In addition to directing R&D activities, 

the committee will play an important 

role in directing extension activities 

to assist growers to enhance their 

farming operations. The committee 

will help to drive effective 

extension activities that meets 

the needs of farmers in the Territory. 

The industry in the Territory has 

reached a critical point where 

an industry lead committee is 

needed to strategically direct 

R,D&E investment for the future 

growth of the industry. The 

committee will be critical in 

helping the industry to unlock 

its fully potential and achieve its 

target of generating $1 billion in 

farmgate output by 2030. 

If you would like to provide input 

directly to the committee, please 

do not hesitate to contact NT 

Farmers Association. 




CRCNA delivering 

R&D collaborations in 

Top End. 


Carla Keith, General Manager CRCNA 

The Cooperative Research Centre 

for Developing Northern Australia 

(CRCNA) continues to deliver 

high-impact R&D collaborations 

with key industry players from 

across the Northern Territory. Here 

is a summary of some of our recently 

announced projects. 

26 27 

NT Agricultural supply chains 

Minister for Agriculture and Northern 

Australia, Hon David Littleproud 

officially kicked off the NT agriculture 

supply chain project while visiting 

Darwin in September. 

The project is being led by NT Farmers 

and will provide a blueprint for 

government and industry on how 

supply chains can support the development 

of the Territory’s agricultural 

export industries. 

During his visit, Minister Littleproud 

said the collaboration will help the 

Territory capitalise on its strategic 

location. 

De-risking Phase II- NT through 

sustainable development precincts 

The CRCNA have partnered with 

the Northern Territory Government’s 

Department of Industry, 

Tourism and Trade (DITT) to utilise 

a case-study approach to support 

improved planning for new priority 

agricultural development areas, as 

part of new Sustainable Development 

Precincts (SDPs) concept for 

the NT. 

This 3-year project is aiming to derisk 

investment in key NT regions 

through better planning and development 

within SDPs. We expect 

the project will significantly lift investment 

in agricultural development 

across the Top End. 

Enhancing water efficiency in the 

Territory 

NT Farmers are leading the charge 

with their project to enhance water 

sustainability in the Top End. 

Working with their industry part- 

ners, Inpex, the Northern Territory 

Department of Industry, Tourism 

and Trade, Power and Water Corporation, 

Territory Natural Resource 

Management Inc, Northern Territory 

Department of Environment, 

Parks and Water and the Australian 

Mango Industry Association, NT 

Farmers will utilise state of the art 

technology to improve water efficiency 

and reduce the pressure on 

the region’s aquafers. 

High tech probes, installed at several 

trial sites from Darwin to Katherine 

will record what happens to various 

crops and soils throughout the 

year. The data collected will provide 

an efficient guide for industry to follow 

regarding its water usage. 

The CRCNA’s $250,000 will contribute 

towards the first three years of 

this project, with funding from other 

partners extending the project to 

five years. The extra time will enable 

NT Farmers and industry to develop 

an accurate understanding of crop 

water requirements. 

New orchard systems tested 

We’ve invested $900, 000 in a new 

project looking to test how new production 

methods for jackfruit, could 

save crops from the ravages of cyclones. 

Research for our ‘Next generation 

systems for tropical crops’ project 

is being undertaken at sites across 

Northern Australia including Darwin, 

Kathrine, Townsville and Innisfail 

in far 

The project will provide diversification 

options for horticultural producers 

across the north and give 

them confidence to invest in new 

productions systems which boost 

crop productivity and reduce their 

risks associated with tropical cyclones. 

To keep up-to-date with the latest 

CRCNA news, visit www.crcna.com. 

au 




Department of 

Industry, Tourism 

and Trade – Plant 

Industries snapshot. 

Stay tuned for an update from 

Plant Biosecurity in the next edition. 

Below is an update on a few projects 

from the team. 

Tomato supply chain monitoring 

and fruit quality assessment 

liminary assessments of whether 

supplying vegetables directly 

from the farm to the distributor or 

retailers will reduce these issues, 

and what (if any) quality improvements 

may arise from this change 

in practice. 

Initial trials have shown that the 

fruit shelf life is significantly ex- 


The Northern Territory Reconstruction 

Commission (TERC) established 

a target of a $40 billion 

economy by 2030. This requires 

significant effort to grow the economy 

from its current $26B (gross 

state product, GSP) and primary industries 

are part of this effort. 

28 29 

Within government, the Plant Industries 

group operate within Agriculture 

and the division of Agriculture, 

Fisheries and Biosecurity. The 

Plant Industries research and adoption 

program has 5 key themes: 

1. Advanced production systems 

and technology for productivity 

and profitability 

2. Emerging crops 

3. Diversified mixed farming 

systems and markets 

4. Support Aboriginal-led economic 

development 

5. Information and extension 

delivery systems 

Plant Industries currently has 31 

projects valued at approximately 

$20M with 21 projects in horticulture, 

7 projects in broadacre cropping 

and 3 projects in forestry. 60% 

of projects have co-investment 

from industry and 40% use research 

farm facilities in some way and the 

NT Farmers Association (NTFA) 

are directly involved in about 40% 

of projects. 

Development and approval of Plant 

Industries projects are assisted by 

industry representative bodies, research 

organisations and government 

working together. New local 

processes are being established to 

assist prioritisation, including the 

NTFA Research and Development 

Advisory Committee. Currently, priorities 

are set in consultation with 

farmers and agribusinesses and 

projects generally align with the 

priorities set out in Research and 

Development Corporations (RDCs) 

strategic investment plans which 

are established by industry advisory 

panels at the national level. 

While the department and industry 

have some representation on these 

advisory panels there is scope to 

improve strategic coordination and 

alignment with the needs and priorities 

of Territory farmers. 

The department has been researching 

supply chain and product 

quality with Territory growers 

during 2021. 

The majority of vegetables grown 

in the Northern Territory are currently 

shipped to markets and 

distribution centres in southern 

states. The supply chain for travel 

from Darwin or Katherine to interstate 

hubs is several days, substantially 

longer than interstate 

competitors. The extra travel time 

can potentially add to the cost of 

production, increase the potential 

for physical damage and may increase 

the carbon footprint. 

This project conducted some pre- 

tended, with improved quality for 

the proposed supply chain innovations. 

The economy of scale 

and the impact of the shortened 

supply chain on improving carbon 

footprints will be valuable for 

commercial adoption. 

To find out more about this project 

in the Northern Territory, contact: 

The Department of Industry, Tourism 

and Trade’s Plant Industries 

Horticulture Group Leader – Dr 

Sohail Mazhar 

E: MuhammadSohail.Mazhar@ 

nt.gov.au 




30 

Developing sustainable and diversified 

farming systems for the 

Northern Territory 

The department is preparing for an 

agave trial from Central Australia 

to Katherine with planting to begin 

early next year. 

Through the Australian Government’s 

Future Drought Fund, Northern 

Territory farmers from Central 

Australia to Katherine are being 

invited to take part in trials of a 

drought resilient crop. The department 

is managing the 12-month 

trial, which will investigate the potential 

for agave as a low or no irrigation 

crop across the regions. 

Agave is a crop that has the potential 

to be used for syrups, spirits, fibre 

and fodder which takes 6 to 8 

years to mature. 

This trial marks the first stage of 

an investigation into the possibility 

of agave as a commercially viable 

crop in the Territory. The 3 varieties 

of agave will be grown on the department’s 

research farms as part 

of the project into water usage and 

farm income diversification. The 

trial will test their growth potential 

and identify the varieties best suited 

to the Territory. It will also examine 

if it could become a commercially 

viable crop for farmers looking to 

diversify. 

Territory farmers from Central Australia 

and Katherine are encouraged 

to participate in the small 

scale trials which are due to begin 

early next year. The growers will be 

supplied with 30 free plants to trial 

on-farm as part of the project 

This project is a collaborative effort, 

looking at building resilience 

to droughts and changing rainfall 

patterns in NT agriculture through 

efficient water use. The work is 

funded by the Federal Government 

through the Future Drought Fund, 

with project partners Charles Darwin 

University (CDU). 



Plant Industries Horticulture Team 

Leader - Chelsea Moore. 

E: chelsea.moore@nt.gov.au 

East Arnhem Aboriginal commercial 

forestry opportunities 

A 3-year sustainable forestry project 

is underway in the Northern 

Territory with local, Territory and 

national agencies involved. 

The research and development 

project is investigating the potential 

for commercial Indigenous 

forestry in northern Australia, with 

a focus on the Territory’s East Arnhem 

Land. 

The project will facilitate sustainable 

forest-based livelihood benefits 

for Yolngu Traditional Owners 

and is supported and funded by 

Forest and Wood Products Australia 

(FWPA), Developing East 

Arnhem Limited (DEAL), University 

of the Sunshine Coast (USC), the 

National Indigenous Australians 

Agency (NIAA), Gumatj Corporation, 

Northern Land Council (NLC), 

and the Northern Territory Government. 

This forestry research and development 

project has 4 concurrent 

phases: 

1. Forest Product Development 

Pilot, involving harvesting, product 

identification, manufacturing, performance 

testing and market assessment 

pilot. To support market 

entry, the focus will be on supplying 

local markets, including consideration 

of Forest Stewardship Council 

(FSC) certification options. 

2. Traditional Owner Engagement, 

involving consulting with Indigenous 

communities interested 

in commercial forestry and informing 

them of industry opportunities 

and practicalities. 

3. Forest Resource Assessment, 

involving comprehensive inventory 

(desktop analysis and fieldbased 

surveys) of the forests of 

East Arnhem Land. 

4. Indigenous Capacity Building, 

involving working with the Indigenous 

communities with the 

identified potential to operate forestry 

enterprises to develop their 

forestry workforce and business 

opportunities. 



The Department of Industry, Tourism 

and Trade’s Plant Industries 

Forestry Group Leader – Dallas Anson. 

E: Dallas.Anson@nt.gov.au 

2021


32 


Trials to determine cause of twig 

tip dieback in mangoes currently 

underway 

The department is working on research 

to help Territory mango growers 

manage mango twig dieback. 

Since mid- 2017, different symptoms 

of mango dieback have been 

observed in 15 orchards in the Top 

End. It is possible this disorder may 

be present in more orchards. The 

condition has been named mango 

twig tip dieback (MTTD) to distinguish 

it from the common branch/ 

twig dieback. 

The severity of MMTD can vary between 

orchards, with some severely 

affected. Plant stress does not appear 

to be a condition for the MTTD 

to occur. The condition has been detected 

in an orchard with otherwise 

very healthy tree canopies. It was 

also observed in an orchard abandoned 

a few years previously. MTTD 

can also affect trees that are less 

than one year old, with the Kensington 

Pride cultivar particularly susceptible. 

Attempts to determine the aetiology 

of MTTD have been carried out by 

the staff at the department. No insect 

has been associated with MTTD 

and tests for Phytoplasmas were 

negative. To date, a total of 150 fungal 

and bacterial cultures were isolated 

from 22 mango samples. One 

species of bacteria and 33 species 

of fungi (belonging to 23 genera) 

were found associated with MTTD. 

No exotic plant pathogens have 

been detected. Two pathogenicity 

trials were undertaken to determine 

if some of the identified microorganisms 

were the cause, but MTTD 

symptoms were not reproduced on 

the inoculated seedlings. 

To continue to understand the 

cause of the symptoms observed, 

the department is working with the 

Northern Territory Farmers Association 

(NTFA) to investigate the cause 

of MTTD, which has been reported 

from a number of orchards in the 

Greater Darwin region. The department’s 

researchers have been carrying 

out studies in a commercial 

mango orchard since November, as 

well as at the Berrimah Farm Science 

Precinct to investigate what 

might be causing the symptoms 

currently being observed. 

To determine if MTTD is caused 

by a pest or disease and to assess 

whether it can consequently be 

transmitted between plants and 

from the soil, trees with medium to 

high levels of MTTD were randomly 

selected from a commercial orchard. 

As part of the study, 2 healthy 

seedlings will be placed under the 

experimental trees. One seedling 

will be planted on the ground, with 

the other planted in a pot with sterilised 

potting mix. The pot will be 

glued onto a paver to avoid the plant 

roots coming into contact with the 

soil. The seedlings will be monitored 

fortnightly for 4 months to observe 

the development of MTTD. 

To complement this study, another 

project will also be conducted at the 

Berrimah Farm Science Precinct to 

determine whether MTTD can be 

transmitted by grafting and through 

the soil. For the grafting study, seedlings 

will be grafted with a portion of 

MTTD-infected twigs and compared 

with seedlings that will be grafted 

with healthy twigs from an uninfected 

mango orchard. 

An additional study will monitor 

whether seedlings develop MTTD 

when they are planted in pots in unsterilised 

soil from a MTTD-infected 

mango orchard. They will be compared 

with seedlings in pots with 

sterilised soil and control pots with 

sterilised potting mix. 

Growers who have observed MTTD 

symptoms in their mango orchards 

are encouraged to visit the department’s 

website for update or email 

plant.pathology@nt.gov.au for more 

information. 

More information: 

Further details about MTTD can be 

found on the department’s website. 

To find out more contact: 

Department of Industry, Tourism 

and Trade’s Chief Plant Health Officer 

– Dr Anne Walters. 

E: anne.walters@nt.gov.au 

2021



Knowledge is key to 

climate resilience in 

Northern Australia. 


Northern Australia’s primary producers 

need more information and 

knowledge sharing on drought- resilience 

innovations that are relevant to 

their environment and conditions. 

34 

That’s the opinion of the new head of 

The Northern Western Australia and 

Northern Territory (NWANT) Drought 

Resilience Adoption and Innovation 

Hub Jed Matz, who took up the role 

as director of the drought hub earlier 

this month. 

“Much of the research in Australia on 

drought resilience is focused on or 

based on southern conditions. Our 

Hub will focus on connecting people 

with research that’s relevant to 

their situation and conditions (northern 

WA and Northern Territory),” Mr 

Matz said. 

Mr Matz said the drought hub does 

not have to reinvent the wheel, but 

needed to take the research that is 

available both in Australia and overseas 

and make it more easily accessible 

for producers and their communities. 

“This (climate resilience) is one of 

the most significant changes that 

the world has to adapt to - inconsistent 

and changing climates,” he said. 

Mr Matz said the first key piece of 

work was to create a knowledge 

bank, where the latest research and 

knowledge could be easily access by 

producers and other stakeholders. 

“The region covered through the 

drought hub was so diverse, that 

some regions did not always face 

the threat of drought,” he said 

He said resilience included the impact 

of unusual seasonal changes. 

“There are a few goals for the 

drought hub, one is connecting all 

the key players within the industry 

and creating a network for building 

drought resilience,” he said. 

“Obviously the second goal is to increase 

the drought resilience of primary 

producers and communities 

who rely on Agriculture.” 

Mr Matz said this knowledge will not 

only come from Australian studies, 

but from countries with similar environments 

who had done research 

on drought resilience. 

“It will be key to future development 

of Australia’s agriculture industry,” 

he said. 

Mr Matz knows about building resilience 

in the agricultural industry 

- he has worked in the agriculture, 

aquaculture, health and indigenous 

industries on policy and strategy for 

more than 20 years. 

His last role as CEO of CRC for 

Developing Northern Australia for 

more than three years focused on 

the wider development potential of 

northern Australia. 

This new role is more focused on 

agricultural resilience in a rapidly 

changing climate in a region (NT 

and northern Western Australia) 

that it pivotal for Australia’s future 

food security. 

“Ï think one of the best opportunities 

(in the Northern Territory) is to 

engage with the traditional owners 

in this region and understand their 

traditional ways of dealing with climate 

and environmental changes, 

and to see how that fits with our 

knowledge,” he said. 

35



Forestry Hub Driving 

R,D&E. 

FIANT 


36 

The forestry industry in the Northern 

Territory is set to expand thanks to 

the decision by the Commonwealth 

government to establish a regional 

forestry hub in the Territory. The hub 

will play an important role in driving 

research and attracting forestry investment 

to the region. 

Minister for Agriculture and Northern 

Australia, David Littleproud said 

during a visit to Darwin that the 

Northern Territory’s forestry industry 

is in an excellent position to expand, 

export and create jobs. 

“The forestry industry here is poised 

for huge expansion and I am proud 

to be backing it with a hub that will 

contribute to transformative effects 

for the Northern Territory, and Northern 

Australia more broadly,” Minister 

Littleproud said. 

“It will drive innovation and opportunities 

for new plantations, as well 

as the jobs, supply chains and infrastructure 

needed to support both 

domestic consumption and export.” 

Minister Littleproud said. 

Mark McGrath has been appointed 

as director of the NT Ord Valley Forestry 

Hub. Mark has significant experience 

in the agriculture industry 

in Northern Australia. He has spent 

over 25 years working in the north, 

mainly in Kununurra. For 15 years he 

managed the operations of Pacific 

Seeds and then for the last 10 years 

he worked for The Chia Company as 

Crop Production Manager. 

During his employment with The 

Chia Company, Mark was General 

Manger and Business Development 

Manager for Northern Australia 

Crop Research Alliance (NACRA). 

Mark’s considerable experience 

and knowledge of agriculture in the 

North will enable him to make a significant 

contribution to the development 

of Forestry operations in the 

NT and Ord Valley. 

The Forestry Hub will play a critical 

role in undertaking research and 

development on behalf of industry. 

The Hub has a comprehensive 

R,D&E agenda for the next three 

years, Mark will be working closely 

with industry and researchers to develop 

outcomes for plantations. 

The hub will play a leading role in 

identifying potential growing regions 

and infrastructure requirements. 

Work undertaken by the hub 

will inform industry and government 

on expansion and investment 

opportunities in the Territory. In addition 

the Hub will study how the 

local forest industry can value add, 

by processing forest products and 

creating jobs for Territorians. 

Do not hesitate to contact Mark for 

further information about the Hub 

and how it can support plantations 

in the North - Director@ntovfh.com. 

au 

37


Strickland Finger 

Grass. 




Strickland at the Douglas Daly Research Farm 

38 

Cows grazing on Strickland in the Finnis River 

Strickland (Digitaria milanjiana cv 

Strickland) is a grass cultivar which 

was released after performing well 

in pasture trials in the Northern 

Territory, Queensland and Northern 

New South Wales. It grows well 

and persists in a range of tropical 

and subtropical environments. 

This cultivar was named after Ray 

Strickland, A CSIRO Pasture Research 

Scientist who conducted 

much of the early evaluation of 

promising Digitaria introductions in 

Queensland. 

Strickland was grown in evaluation 

trials in the Northern Territory to 

evaluate its growth, seed production 

and grazing value. It performed 

well in these trials and was selected 

from a range of promising lines 

for release. 

Strickland is a runner grass similar 

to Jarra Finger grass which has 

been grown on many properties 

over the Top End of the NT. In appearance, 

Strickland is blue-green 

in colour, much less hairy and has 

thinner leaves than Jarra which is 

dark green and purple in appearance, 

with broader, distinctly hairy 

leaves. 

The performance of Jarra and 

Strickland in the wetter areas of the 

Top End, receiving 1100mm or more of 

rainfall, is similar. Because of its tolerance 

of drier conditions, Strickland will 

be more persistent than Jarra in areas 

receiving 900 to 1000mm of rainfall. 

Strickland is much more tolerant of 

colder areas and colder times of the 

year than Jarra, which is a true tropical 

grass. Strickland produced good yields 

of high quality fodder in an irrigated dry 

season trial. It is a good option for irrigated 

dry season production in the NT. 

Sowings of Strickland in the NT have 

previously been limited by seed shortages. 

That has changed this year, with 

more seed available on the market. 

For more information on performance 

contact Arthur Cameron, Principal Pasture 

Agronomist 0417816795 

Contact Progressive Seeds for all your 

seed needs! 

T: 617 32011741, 0409896822, 

E: info@pseeds.com.au, 

W: www.progressiveseeds.com.au 

NT FARMERS GROW NT MAGAZINE. 

39


Labour Hire Risks to 

keep in mind. 

Samtui Selave, GrowCom 



2019 

Engaging a Labour Hire Provider 

(LHP) may take some of the stress 

away from sourcing staff, but it does 

not mean that labour laws do not apply 

to your business. Farmers need to 

exercise care when engaging a LHP 

and then monitor the LHP to make 

sure that they are doing the right 

thing by their employees. 

• Do you keep employee records 

and provide payslips? 

• Have you been investigated by 

the Fair Work Ombudsman? What 

was the outcome? 

How to identify a responsible company 

40 

Due Diligence: your business should 

apply a process of due diligence before 

engaging a LHP 

One consideration for users of LHP’s 

is to not engage LHP’s that are unlicensed. 

Queensland, Victoria, and 

South Australia now have laws that 

require the licensing of LHPs. The NT 

does not yet have labour hire licencing 

laws. 

Some questions to ask of your LHP 

before engaging them include: 

• Will you subcontract any of my 

work? 

• How many employees do you 

plan to use for my work? 

• Do you pay your employees the 

correct wages? 

• What Award or Enterprise 

Agreement will you be applying? 

A responsible LHP will: 

• Have Workplace Health and 

Safety policies and procedures, and 

a process for induction and supervision 

of employees. 

• Have a system for checking 

that employees have the right to work 

in Australia. 

• Maintain good time and wage 

records and provides payslips to employees. 

• Have written employment 

agreements and only employ people 

through their TFN (not personal 

ABN’s). 

• Have a current registered (ABN 

or ASIC) and has been in business for 

a while. 

Some “red flags” when vetting a LHP 

include: 

• The inability to provide a certificate 

of currency for insurance such as 

workers compensation and public liability. 

• The LHP has been prosecuted for 

breaches of WHS, Fair Work or Migration 

Laws. 

• The LHP can’t identify the correct 

industrial instrument (Award) and pay 

rates. 

• The LHP won’t rule out subcontracting 

to another LHP without consent. 

• The LHP has quoted rates that 

may not enable obligations to employees 

to be met. 

Get it in writing 

The cost of labour is likely to be one of 

the most significant expenses farmers 

will bear. With so much at stake, it’s 

good business practice to have a written 

and legally enforceable agreement. 

A good agreement will require the LHP 

to provide evidence that it is meeting its 

legal obligations and should ensure that 

there is no sub-contracting without consent. 

Ongoing Monitoring 

Managing the risks associated with outsourcing 

labour requires that farmers 

should check that the LHP is doing the 

right thing. Farmers should ask for evidence 

that workers are being paid correctly 

and should not ignore any complaints 

made by employees of the LHP. 

Fair Farms 

Growcom’s Fair Farms program has 

standards and training modules that 

41 




Workforce 

Development Update. 

Aisla Connolly 

seasonal worker program and pacific labour 

scheme which aim to provide double 

to the workers in Australia by March 2022. 

Note new employers seeking to access 

workers from either one of these streams 

must apply through the Pacific Australia 

Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme. 

Superannuation 

Research 

Top End P-Tech are seeking mentors to 

help senior school students at the new 

STEM Maker space at Casuarina Senior 

College. If you have time to volunteer your 

knowledge or if you have a project for the 

students to complete, for example harvest 

aid build, please contact me. 

The super rate is currently 10% but is 

scheduled to progressively increase to 

12% by July 2025. You can find the scheduled 

rate increases and dates on the ATO 

website. 

Aisla Connolly, Workforce Development 

Coordinator phone 0400 416 558 email 

wpc@ntfarmers.org.au 

Stapling - You may have heard the term 

‘stapling’ over recent months and during 

the last federal Budget, but what exactly 

does ‘stapling’ mean? 

42 43 

Development 

NT Farmers underwrote two charter 

flights (one from Vanuatu and one from 

Samoa) to bring seasonal workers in for 

the 2021 NT mango harvest, there was 

collaboration with other industries including 

pacific labour scheme workers. 

The issues in bringing workers to the 

Territory from other states with varying 

and ever-changing COVID-19 status 

have prevented many mango growers 

in accessing experts required such as 

technicians to perform repairs and maintenance 

on mango packing equipment. 

Employers are currently required to apply 

for exemptions for their essential ag 

workers to enter the NT from Hot Spots. 

NT Farmers are required to report to the 

Department of Industry Tourism and 

Trade on arrivals weekly. Several Alerts 

have been provided to members to inform 

of the various changes. 

improvements to on farm quarantine arrangements 

in the NT and approval from 

the NT Government Health Department 

to bring workers in from international 

countries. 

Ag Visa 

NT Farmers have provided input into 

the Australian Agriculture Visa creation 

though the Department of Agriculture, 

Water and the Environment. The Migration 

Regulations 1994 were amended on 

30 September to include the Australian 

Agriculture Worker Regulations 2021. 

The regulation provides a new Australian 

Ag Worker stream which will allow 

entry and work in primary industry sectors 

including processing in low skilled 

to skilled roles. This sub class 403 visa is 

available to workers from countries who 

have negotiated bilateral agreements 

through the Department of Foreign Affairs 

and Trade. 

Stapling is another way of referring to a 

super account that’s a ‘single default account’ 

which is ‘stapled’ to the individual 

employee whenever they change jobs. 

Employers can no longer automatically 

create a new super account in their default 

fund for new employees who haven’t 

chosen a super fund 

From 1 November 2021 Employers will be 

required to search for an employee’s existing 

stapled fund by contacting the ATO 

and directing contributions to that fund, 

unless the employee has made an active 

choice about their super fund. That being 

said, employees can still choose their own 

super fund or the employer’s company 

default fund by completing the standard 

choice form.” 

Another change on 1 November 2021 

is the 1.75% increase to minimum wages 

from the first full pay period on or after 

1 November 2021. This affects certain 

awards, in our industry; the Nursery 

Award. For further information click here. 

NT Farmers continues to advocate for 

This visa stream will compliment the



Hort Labour 

Agreement to address 

skills shortages. 

Luke Trevisan, VETASSESS 

than 30 applications under the HILA pathway 

and all, but one has been approved. 

These applications have come from people 

in occupations that include Production 

Horticulture Supervisor, Production Horticulturalist, 

Forklift Driver and Irrigationist. 

All applicants have on-farm experience, 

and some bring qualifications in agriculture/horticulture. 

They are sponsored by 

Australian employers, mostly fruit producers 

under the HILA program. 

• Horticulture Farm Manager 

• Facility Supervisor 

• Truck Driver 

• Mobile Plant Operator – which may 

include roles such as harvester operator, 

tractor operator, sprayer operator and others. 

• Forklift Driver 

The farm labour shortage in Australia 

and its cost are well established. What is 

not so well known is that there are solutions 

available to farmers and Australian 

farming employers. 

There is a major focus on the use of 

South Pacific workers and backpackers 

for on-farm work, but another cohort 

of skilled farm workers is available/will 

soon be available who can undertake 

both the labour intensive and more complex 

roles and who have experience and 

qualifications. 

44 45 

The benefits of these skilled workers 

are clear. They are generally not seasonal 

and will provide a longer-term stable 

employee base. Many of them are career 

farmers. 

The Horticulture Industry Labour Agreement 

(HILA) recently established by the 

Australian Government and horticulture 

sector provides a specific pathway for 

skilled migrants to come to Australia 

and be employed by the horticulture industry. 

The Agreement was created specifically 

for employers to facilitate their on-farm 

labour needs in consultation with organisations 

such as National Farmers Federation 

and AUSVEG. 

HILAs aim to tap a resource of people 

from across the globe who already have 

skills in agriculture and horticulture. 

These are individuals who would consider 

Australia’s regional environment, 

work, and conditions a huge opportunity 

and benefit to them. 

At a time of skills shortages, when regional 

employers are competing with 

city businesses for staff, the HILA workers 

want to come to the regions, where 

they can work in their trade and gain 

more experience. 

Countries in the sub-continent, such as 

India, have large rural economies. Agriculture 

is a major industry and the largest 

employer. 

HILAs provide Australian producers with 

access to a huge pool of skilled agricultural 

workers. 

Indian workers will not only benefit from 

on-farm experience in Australia but also 

provide the local agriculture and horticulture 

sectors with much-needed employees, 

and for a longer term than seasonal 

pickers. 

Under the program these individuals will 

be provided with training and any upskilling 

that is required prior to starting work 

here. 

To date, VETASSESS has received more 

VETASSESS has partnered in this program 

with the National Skill Development 

Corporation (NSDC) of India. NSDC is India’s 

national skills development organisation, 

and both develops and promotes 

skills in the vocational sector. The partnership 

creates a link for both job candidates 

and Australian employers and will provide 

a steady pathway through the migration 

and employment process. It covers all 

facets of selection, training, onboarding, 

logistics and identifying of any barriers. 

VETASSESS has more than 22 years’ experience 

in skills assessment and can ensure 

that people sponsored by Australian 

primary producers have the skills and experience 

to do the work to the quality that 

Australian farmers expect. This is further 

facilitated by the relationship developed 

with local business partners such as Fairfields 

NT to provide direct personal support 

to farmers. 

The Horticulture Industry Labour Agreement 

(HILA) pilot project will work with 

farm businesses to develop a clear and 

reliable pathway for farmers to access 

skilled workers. 

The HILA occupations assessed by VE- 

TASSESS are: 

• Horticulture Grower 

• Protected Cropping Grower 

• Irrigationist 

• Irrigationist Assistant 

• Horticulture Section Manager 

• Section Supervisor 

• Production Horticulture Supervisor 

• Production Horticulturist 

• Machinery Manager 

• Machinery Supervisor 

• Cold Storage Manager 

To find out more about this program, 

contact VETASSESS at luket@vetassess. 

com.au or science.ag@vetassess.com. 

au 

Luke Trevisan is Industry Engagement Agriculture, 

Health and Science Team Leader 

at VETASSESS



Progress in the 

community all comes 

down to connections. 

Ironbark 

Ironbark Labour Hire’s mission is to create 

opportunity and growth by connecting 

industry to the community. These 

connections are being made across the 

Territory’s vital industries, and Agriculture 

has become one of the most successful 

crossroads between industry 

and the community. 

46 47 

Labour Hire defines the connection as 

the engagement, training, and employment 

of our Indigenous and non-Indigenous 

people. Our organisation operates 

on both sides of the employment network. 

It supports unemployed people 

to participate in community activities 

which create stepping-stones on a newly 

forged path to sustainable employment. 

We believe experience is stronger when 

it is tied to the community. The activities 

we prepare are designed to educate, 

build core skills, and strengthen job readiness. 

By having people being involved in 

the community they will make meaningful 

connections. In the rural areas of Darwin 

and Daly River, community events 

play a primary role in our activities. 

On the other side of the employment 

channel, Labour Hire provides substantial 

support to employers to support 

unemployed people with lasting jobs 

and career opportunities. Our organisation 

has facilitated discussions with key 

stakeholders and designed a mentoring 

program to meet employee and employer 

needs. Ironbark Labour Hire can manage 

any Indigenous component in any 

businesses NT, or Federal, tendering requirements. 

Labour Hire promotes a synergy between 

our communities and industry 

partners to identify opportunities for 

new enterprises that provide jobs and 

work experience opportunities. 

We connect communities, strengthen 

relationships and networks, build life- 

skills, celebrate, and protect culture, and 

provide meaning through employment 

for all Territorians. Our mission statement 

has evolved from an Indigenous focus to 

recognise our newfound motivations to 

improve and transform all communities 

through employment and economic opportunities. 

In a step to help the rural community and 

help those looking to find employment, 

Labour Hire has been enlisted for the NT 

Government’s Gamba Army. Labour Hire 

will join TNRM again to re-assess grounds 

that were treated last year and will tackle 

new grounds throughout the region. 

Our services cover a wide range of lands 

from small, medium, and large properties 

to pastoral and hobby farms, parks and 

reserves and NT Government managed 

land. We offer free on-site quotes to determine 

the services needed on your property. 

IRONBARK 

LABOUR HIRE 

Culture, Ent er prises, Oppor tunities


Water Industry Development 

Officer Update. 

Di Renfree 

Harvest Trail Coordinator 

Update. 

Imran North 


An irrigation trial site was selected in 

a Keow Savoy orchard within the Darwin 

region. Keow Savoy is a green 

eating mango variety that originates 

from Thailand. It is an oblong, dark 

green fruit, commonly consumed 

green. It is crunchy and sweet in the 

green stage and can be eaten when 

ripe. 

The install of two moisture monitoring 

probes and a temperature and 

humidity sensor (weather station) 

at this site will collect current irrigation 

and weather information. The 

information collected from the soil 

probes include moisture, temperature, 

and salinity in the soil. These 

probes monitor and report the movement 

of water throughout the length 

of the probe from sensors at 10cm 

increments. The weather station will 

collect the air temperature and humidity 

which is located on site near 

the probes in the orchard. 

First probe installed was 120cm in 

depth approximately 1 meter from 

the tree in position with the irrigation 

line. The second probe installed was 

80cm in depth and was approximately 

2 meters from the tree in line with 

the 120cm probe and the irrigation 

line. 

Currently the project is at its data 

collection phase with several sites 

recording information. This data is 

collected using the MAIT Industries 

iNTELLiWEB app (web-based data 

collection). Data from the probes is 

uploaded to the iNTELLiWEB site, 

where information can be viewed on 

your laptop or on the iNTELLiWEB 

mobile phone app. Data that is collected 

gives real time moisture levels 

in the crop that is displayed in graph 

form to show irrigation or fertigation 

schedules. 

Another exciting development is the 

collaboration with industry agencies 

such as Territory Natural Resource 

Management to install a moisture 

monitoring site in the Berry Springs 

region. Forming these partnerships 

and connecting with growers to 

adopt new water use technologies 

which can improve current water use 

practices is critical in progress of agriculture 

in Northern Australia. 

For more information on the water 

project please see the NT Farmers 

website at www.ntfarmers.org.au/ 

watersustainability/ 

It has been a busy year for Harvest 

Trail Services Top End. Since taking 

on the Harvest Trail in May 2015 we 

have had a successful year helping 

growers to secure workers for there 

farms. This included packers, pickers 

and other roles required to ensure 

their produce was available. 

We have seen some big numbers of 

produce from Calypso mangoes to 

Kensington Pride in the west, and the 

start of the year a successful Melon 

season. 

We had successfully placed over 150 

employees for the Mango and melon 

season which saw the team required 

to process lot of relocation assistance 

(AgMove) an initiative from the 

Australian Government department 

DESE. 

We have ensured that each grower 

was never short staffed, and we did 

what we could to provide workers in 

trying times that Covid restrictions 

continued to restrict worker movements. 

However, after all the bumps we have 

had this year, it didn’t stop a successful 

harvest for growers and the services 

that Harvest Trail will continue 

to provide in 2022. 



Education Development 

Officer. 

Mariah Maughan 

Hi everyone, my name is Mariah 

Maughan, and I am the new Education 

Development Officer for NT Farmers 

based in Darwin. 

At the start of 2020 I moved to Kununurra 

where I worked for DPIRD as a Biosecurity 

Officer. Here I spent a significant 

amount of time around the horticultural 

industries. As I approached the end 

of 2021, I was interested in continuing 

to assist the agricultural industry however 

through an industry Organisation, 

which led me to NT Farmers. 


I grew up in a small town in the southwest 

of Western Australia called Harvey. 

After finishing high school, I got a 

job on a cropping and cattle station in 

the Kimberley, 234km east of Broome. 

50 51 

These first two years, working on the 

station really shaped me as a person 

and my work ethic. I learnt to work hard 

and to not let what I thought I could 

and couldn’t do limit what I could actually 

achieve. Living and working with a 

small group of people, I learnt the value 

of good working relationships and 

how integral they are in achieving outcomes. 

I also developed a high level 

of respect for the producers. It takes 

a balance of physical skill, knowledge 

and people skills in order to run a station/ 

farm well. 

While on the station I completed a certificate 

II in Agriculture which got me 

thinking about what qualifications may 

help me in my career in Agriculture. In 

2017 completed a Bachelor of Science 

with a double major in Animal Science 

and Animal health whilst still getting a 

solid month of mustering in my midyear 

breaks! 

Upon graduating I was accepted in a 

position with the Department of Primary 

Industries and Regional Development 

(DPIRD) as a Development 

officer based out of Broome. During 

this role I was fortunate enough to 

work with producers from all over the 

Kimberley and Pilbara regions (over 

2300km from NE to SW) Our project 

provided several services, one being a 

grant program that allowed pastoralists 

to trial new technologies. Where I 

saw the most value was providing an 

outlet to share the knowledge and trial 

findings from the producers with other 

producers through workshops, articles 

and case studies. 

After high school I found it difficult to 

see how and where I would fit into the 

Agricultural industry, and I feel providing 

Agricultural education in schools 

can help change this. NT Farmers 

through the Educating Kids About 

Agriculture program helps bring Agriculture 

back into the classroom and 

students onto farms. Through this 

role I get to teach students where their 

food and fibre come from and provide 

teachers with the resources to do the 

same. I also get to show students the 

vast opportunities a career in Agriculture 

contains and some of the ways 

you might get there. I look forward to 

visiting schools and getting students 

onto farms in the new year and to 

share what Agriculture has given me, 

with them. 



Vegetable Industry 

Development Officer 

update. 

Amélie Corriveau 

NT Farmers has recently renewed its 

collaboration with the national extension 

program VegNET aimed to boost 

productivity and deliver the latest research 

and development on-farm between 

2020-2026. The program led 

by Australia’s peak vegetable industry 

body AUSVEG is delivered through 

Hort Innovation using vegetable industry 

levies and funds from the Australian 

Government. I was fortunate to join 

the NT Farmers’ team as the Regional 

development officer for the VegNET 

3.0 project in the Northern Territory. 

Management [IPM], 2) soil health, 3) 

water efficiency, 4) biosecurity, and 

5) crop diversification and protected 

cropping. I caught up with the national 

team of extension officers and began 

planning some activities for the years 

to come. I also had the opportunity to 

visit some local growers, discussed 

weed issues and potential solutions, 

cover crops, and innovative technologies 

for their farms. I was also welcomed 

very warmly at a social event in 

Marrakai, where I caught up with many 

local growers and their families. 

As most vegetable crops are wrapping 

up at this time of the year, I plan 

to catch up with more growers to learn 

more about their crops, concerns, and 

interests. While I know the Darwin agricultural 

region relatively well, I have 

much to learn about other regions, 

vegetable growing, soil health, pests 

and water use in the NT. I look forward 

to learning, working, and meeting with 

more growers and different stakeholders 

in the NT to provide the best possible 

support. 

52 53 


Originally from the French-speaking 

province of Canada (Québec), I moved 

to the Territory in 2016 to conduct a 

5-year research project aimed at providing 

baseline knowledge to improve 

wildlife management practices on 

farms of the Darwin agricultural region. 

Prior to that, I completed a Bachelor of 

Environmental & Agricultural Sciences, 

with a focus on tropical environments. 

My experience collaborating with local 

growers and stakeholders in recent 

years has sparked my interest for agricultural 

extension, engagement with 

growers and more hands-on opportunities. 

I am thrilled to take on the opportunity 

to work more closely with growers of 

the region. The objective of this project 

is to ensure the resilience, sustainability, 

and further development of the NT 

vegetable industry. In my role, I will assist 

NT growers with any issues in the 

field, in the shed or in the business. 

Since taking on the role, I started familiarising 

myself with the five key focus 

areas previously identified for the NT 

vegetable industry: 1) Integrated Pest 





54 55 

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Diversification 

Development Officer. 

Dominic Calder 

NT Farmers has recently filled its Diversification 

portfolio. The aim of this 

role is to provide support and develop 

resilience within the Northern Agriculture 

sector by diversifying on and 

off farm income streams, making efficient 

use of the land and water that 

we have available and asserting our 

position in the Australian and overseas 

markets. 

I have come from the mango and 

tropical fruit industry in Queensland, 

where my employer taught me the 

importance of diversity. Keeping the 

farm income constant throughout the 

year means steady and safe growth, 

full time employment for staff, infrastructure 

and machinery improvements, 

best practice farm management 

and a safety net in case your 

main crop fails or doesn’t perform as 

well. 

Diversification is key in the ever 

changing and difficult farming game. 

Northern agriculture has its own set 

of challenges different to the Southern 

growing regions. Challenges in 

the form of extreme weather and 

climate, distance from markets, suppliers, 

service and support, our own 

unique suite of pests and diseases, 

labour supply and expertise. These 

challenges are compounded by the 

fledgling nature of the industry. 

I have been travelling the Territory 

getting to know growers and learning 

about the rich history and the prospects 

for the Territory. I have had 

the opportunity to meet some of our 

growers and stakeholders in the Central 

area and around Alice Springs, 

hold workshops in Katherine and 

Douglas Daly and get to know the 

Top End fruit growers. 

There is a bright and exciting future 

ahead. I look forward to getting to 

know our growers and helping where 

I can to grow the future of NT Farming. 

2019

Become a Member 

of NT Farmers. 

Help us help you 

Visit www.ntfarmers.org.au 

57 


NT Farmers Association Ltd 

PO Box 748 

COOLALINGA, NT, 0839 

P: (08) 8983 3233, F: (08) 8983 3244 

W: www.ntfarmers.org.au E: admin@ntfarmers.org.au 

Membership Application Form 

CONTACT DETAILS 

Farm or Business Name: 

(if applicable) 

Trading As: 

Contact Person: 

OTHER MEMBERS ONLY (NON PLANT INDUSTRIES AND OTHER PARTNERS) 

Associate $396.00 inc GST 

HISTORY 

NEW MEMBER RENEWAL OF MEMBERSHIP PAST MEMBER 

Farm or Business Address: 

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YES 

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CARD NUMBER: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

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NTFA membership $396 inc GST 

EXP DATE: _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ 

3 DIGIT SECURITY NO: _ _ _ 

(LOCATED ON THE BACK OF CARD) 

Select a commodity group, you may select more than one: 

Mangoes (NT Mango Industry Association $110.00 inc GST ) 

Cut Flowers 

Nursery 

Forestry 

Vegetables 

Tropical or Exotic Fruit 

Melons 

Improved Pasture, Hay, Broadacre Cropping 

Natives 

Citrus 

Grapes 

Bananas 

Other: please specify 

CARD HOLDER NAME: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ 

(As it appears on the Card) 

CARD HOLDER SIGNATURE: _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ 

Please return the completed membership application form to accounts@ntfarmers.org.au, as soon as possible. You will 

subsequently be issued with an invoice/Receipt for payment of the relevant membership fees. 

If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact us. 

All information contained in this document is private and confidential.

Grow NTMagazine -NT Farmers - December 2021

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