NEWS IN BRIEF: Telstra fined and the latest in rural events, appointments and opportunities

The Federal Court on Friday found that Telstra made false or misleading representations relating to the upload speed of residential broadband internet services supplied to nearly 9,000 of its Belong customers, following court action by the ACCC. In October and November 2020, Telstra migrated 8,897 customers who were on a Belong NBN plan with a maximum download speed of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) and a maximum upload speed of 40Mbps, to a service with a maximum upload speed of 20Mbps.

On Thursday it was announced that LambEx 2026 will be held at Adelaide Convention Centre in South Australia from July 8 to 10 in 2026. The organising taskforce will be chaired by Jamie Heinrich, a seventh-generation South Australian sheep farmer, co-owner and manager of Ella Matta Pastoral on Kangaroo Island.

This week a third Victorian poultry farm was confirmed to have H7 avian influenza. According to Agriculture Victoria this is not the avian influenza H5N1 strain that has devastated poultry and wildlife populations around the world and the new detection is in close proximity to the two other infected properties.

Close to 2,000 delegates from 27 countries attended evokeAG in Brisbane this week - the largest event yet. More than 100 innovators showcased practical solutions to the most pressing challenges facing global agriculture. During the two-day event, more than 95 speakers took to the stage to challenge the status quo, spark provocative debates and present bold ideas, scientific discoveries and game changing technology to solve the biggest issues facing agriculture across the globe.

Stay tuned for more from evokeAG in the coming weeks.

The Government has supersized funding for Beef Australia, on Wednesday determining to invest $12 million to deliver a bigger and better event in 2027. This new investment will double funding for Beef Australia, an unprecedented level of support for the event. Beef Australia is the country’s premier beef industry showcase, held every three years in Rockhampton. Last year’s week-long showcase, Beef2024, generated a value-added impact of $94.5 million for the economy, attracting trade delegations, genetics buyers and multinational companies.

Rural, regional and remote Australians are dying at higher rates than their urban counterparts, with avoidable deaths in the regions nearly four times higher, according to new data released today by the National Rural Health Alliance. The Rural Health in Australia Snapshot 2025 paints a grim picture of health inequities between rural and metropolitan areas. The life expectancy gap is stark, with men in very remote areas dying up to 13.6 years earlier and women up to 12.7 years earlier than those in metropolitan areas. Indeed, nearly 18,500 people in Australia still have no access to essential primary healthcare services within an hour’s drive of their home.

Patrick Hutchinson has been appointed Chair of Australian Beef Sustainability Framework (ABSF) Steering Group. ABSF sets out the key indicators of sustainability performance for the beef industry. With more than 25 years of experience in the Australian red meat and livestock industry, Mr Hutchinson’s career has spanned advocacy, industry leadership, global trade and policy environments. Formerly Mr Hutchinson was the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC) where he led the industry through significant challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic and shifting international trade dynamics, particularly with China.  

Women with leadership ambitions are urged to apply to the popular Diversity in Agriculture Leadership Program (DiALP). The initiative is run by the National Farmers’ Federation and is now entering its eighth year.  

Applications for 2026 Nuffield Scholarships are open. Farmers and those working in the agriculture industry are encouraged to seize the once-in-a-lifetime 
opportunity by applying for a scholarship for 15 weeks of overseas stud. Applications close on Friday May 16.