What's making news this week.
Matthew Pearce, Branch Manager and Livestock Agent at GDL Emerald, will test his mettle against the best auctioneers in the world overnight at the International Livestock Auctioneer Championship at the Calgary Stampede. Mr Pearce won the 2025 ALPA Young Auctioneers Competition at Sydney Royal Show earlier this year. The competition kicks off at 2am AEST and can be viewed live or as a playback at https://www.facebook.com/CalgaryStampedeAuctioneers.
Prime Minister Anthoney Albanese will also be putting his best foot forward as he represents Aussie agriculture when flies out of Australia on Saturday for a six-day trip to China. The diplomatic visit will include the Australia-China Annual Leaders’ Meeting in Beijing. Trade and security will be hot topics and APlus News will report news from the trip as it breaks next week.
Matt Hill is the new WAFarmers Vice President. He is part of the family farming operation Young Hill Farms; a large cropping enterprise situated 100 km east of Esperance which have been long-time members of WAFarmers. Mr Hill will still hold the positions of Esperance and Ravensthorpe Zone President and Vice President WAFarmers Grains in conjunction with his new role as Vice President of the organisation. WAFarmers’ President, Steve McGuire, said: “The board was overwhelmed by the number and quality of applications. It was a difficult choice to make but we are looking forward to welcoming Matt to the Board as the organisation has a great balance of governance skills to lead it into a strong future.”
Culcairn farmer Nigel Scheetz has stepped down as chair of the Henty Machinery Field Days (HMFD) after six years at the helm. HMFD deputy chairman Matthew Noll has been appointed to fill the role on the seven-member board while Mr Scheetz will remain as a director. Daryl Thomson and Corey Lieschke are both Deputy Chairs while the remaining directors are Mark Hasler, Brenten Meyer and Jordan Muller.
The first real-time dashboard for tracking on-farm fatalities and injuries has launched, giving journalists, farm safety advocates, researchers and the farming community early insights into where and how agricultural incidents are occurring. Developed by AgHealth Australia as part of the Ag Safety Data Net project, the Rural Media Farm Injury Dashboard draws on live media reports to give timely snapshots of incidents occurring on-farm, before official coronial or workers compensation data become available. The dashboard has been funded by the Rural Safety and Health Alliance (RSHA), a partnership of seven Rural Research and Development Corporations.
NSW Farmers is encouraging young people to upskill in agriculture as the state government announces a new $5 million boost to the AgSkilled program. On Thursday the Minns Government announced it would extend its AgSkilled initiative for a further twelve months, with the new program funding to allow hundreds of short courses in agricultural skills to continue. “The next generation of farmers has endless potential, and so does our broader agricultural workforce – but we need the opportunities to upskill if we are to attract and retain strong talent within the sector," NSW Young Farmers Chair Martin Murray said.
Elders has partnered with Fat Farmers, a grassroots charity dedicated to improving the physical and mental health of people living in rural and regional Australia through physical activity and social connection. The charity supports rural communities by facilitating fitness groups, hosting health workshops, and providing mental health support—creating inclusive spaces where everyone is welcome, whether they live on a farm or not. This partnership will enable Fat Farmers to expand its reach nationally, with initial plans to establish new groups in Western Australia and further into Victoria.
WorkSafe has charged a farming business after a worker was killed while working with machinery at Nathalia, Victoria, in June 2023. The 38-year-old worker was performing maintenance works on a skid steer loader when he became trapped between its bucket attachment and cabin, causing fatal crush injuries. Ascot Park Farm Holding Company Pty Ltd faces two charges of failing to provide or maintain a safe working environment. The matter is listed for a filing hearing at Shepparton Magistrates’ Court on July 14, 2025.
