A $150,000 federal government program will equip potential rural leaders with the skills to shape and improve their industries and communities.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources Barnaby Joyce and Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said a $150,000 commitment to the Australian Rural Leadership Program (ARLP) was a targeted investment in the future of rural and regional Australia.
“We need to give up-and-coming leaders, who have the ideas and the passion to make a difference to their industries and communities, the opportunity to develop the skills that will help them influence industry strategy, community expectations and government policy,” Mr Joyce said.
“One way to bridge the gap between having a good idea and getting it adopted is by developing leadership skills, and so this funding will provide a scholarship for an individual to participate in the ARLP for three years from May, 2016.
“The Australian Rural Leadership Foundation’s (ARLF) Australian Rural Leadership Program has been around for 20 years and its alumni numbers more than 500 –many of whom remain influential in their industries and communities.”
Mr McCormack, who represented Mr Joyce at an ARLP panel on political leadership recently in Canberra, said he was impressed with the calibre and enthusiasm of the participants.
“It is my great hope that those who participate in opportunities such as those offered by ARLF will get a taste for community service in whatever form that may take and continue to contribute their experience and ideas to public discourse,” he said.
“New ideas and new thinking are needed to improve the profitability and productivity of agriculture and driving innovation in regional Australia.”
Mr Joyce said the government had shown its commitment to that goal through the development of the Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper.
“The White Paper was informed by comprehensive stakeholder consultation – more than 1000 submissions were received and we talked face-to-face with more than 1100 people across the country,” he said.
For more information on ARLF’s Australian Rural Leadership Program visit: rural-leaders.com.au
The government also recently announced an additional $75,000 for the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation’s Rural Women’s Awards.
For more information about RIRDC’s Rural Women’s Awards, visit rirdc.gov.au/rural-women's-award.
