AWI consultation with woolgrower representative bodies
AWI consults with woolgrower representative bodies through the WICP and WCG to help the company determine the key R&D and marketing priorities of woolgrowers and industry. Woolgrowers wanting to provide feedback to AWI through the WICP or WCG are encouraged to contact their member organisation.
AWI regularly consults with woolgrower representative bodies through a consultation process that was developed with industry endorsement and rolled out in 2019.
The consultation process enables AWI to find out the key R&D and marketing priorities of these bodies and the woolgrowers that they represent, while also providing them with information on AWI activities and performance.
There are two key forums through which AWI formally consults and engages with woolgrower representative groups: (1) AWI Woolgrower Industry Consultation Panel (WICP) which meets four times per year, and (2) AWI Woolgrower Consultation Group (WCG) which meets twice per year.
Woolgrowers wanting to provide feedback to AWI through the WICP or WCG are encouraged to contact their member organisation – see below.
AWI Woolgrower Industry Consultation Panel (WICP)
The purpose of this forum is to ensure clear, two-way consultation between AWI and organisational representatives, through to woolgrowers. The meeting provides an opportunity for the AWI Board to receive and provide feedback on current/important issues and relevant topics from Board meetings.
The WICP comprises a core group of members from the nine national woolgrower organisations:
- ASHEEP
- Australian Association of Stud Merino Breeders
- Australian Superfine Wool Growers' Association
- Australian Wool Growers Association
- Broad wool representative
- Commercial Merino Ewe Competitions Association
- MerinoLink
- Pastoralists & Graziers Association of Western Australia
- WoolProducers Australia
The WICP nominates and appoints its own independent chair, and includes representatives from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry (DAFF) plus two AWI Board directors.
For each WICP meeting, AWI publishes on its website (1) a communique from the WICP independent Chair providing a report of the meeting, and (2) the AWI Business Unit Update presented to the WICP.
AWI Woolgrower Consultation Group (WCG)
The WCG is a broader group of 28 representatives, comprising state and regional production-based woolgrower groups, as well as the members of the WICP. The groups in the WCG (aside from the WICP members already listed above) are:
- AgForce Queensland
- Australian Dohne Breeders Society
- Birchip Cropping Group
- Flinders Merino
- Liebe Group
- Livestock SA
- Mallee Sustainable Farming
- Monaro Farming Systems
- NSW Farmers Association
- NSW Stud Merino Breeders' Association
- Queensland Merino Stud Sheepbreeders’ Association
- SA Stud Merino Sheepbreeders Association
- Stud Merino Breeders Association of Tasmania
- Stud Merino Breeders' Association of WA
- SuperBorders
- Tasmanian Farmers & Graziers Association
- Victorian Farmers Federation
- Victorian Stud Merino Sheep Breeders Association
- Western Australian Farmers Federation
More information: www.wool.com/consultation
This article appeared in the March 2024 edition of AWI’s Beyond the Bale magazine. Reproduction of the article is encouraged.
