August 29, 2024 • 15 mins
Your weekly local news wrap for the Eyre Peninsula and surrounds.
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Coming up almost time for a spring clean.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Hi.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
I'm Jackie Limb with iHeart Air Peninsula, your weekly local
news wrap for the Air Peninsula and surrounds. But first,
the heavy vehicle restrictions proposed by the YP Council won't
be implemented. It comes after grain Producers essay argued the
curfews and speed limit changes would significantly impact grain producers,
including risking efficiency, grain quality, and creating driver fatigue. I
(00:29):
caught up with GPSA CEO, Brad Perry earlier this week
to hear how they're feeling about the changes to the
strategy and the upcoming harvest season.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
So the Your Pininicular Council had put forward a new
heavy vehicle strategy and they were proposing to put in
place and what we would call sort of draconian measures
around nightcurfeus and weather restrictions on heavy vehicle access in
the region. So we were quite critical of the proposals
that were put forward. But you know, in the end,
(00:58):
kudos to the Your peninicul account and the counselors for
listening to our concerns and the concerns of the community.
Because there was about eight hundred submissions that went through
and I understand that's a record for the or finincual Council.
So you know, we really do appreciate that they took
those concerns on board and made the necessary changes.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
So the strategy that remains does to have a few
things on their pertaining to grain producers.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Oh, that's right. So some of it's actually aspects as
far as looking to upgrade particular roads, looking to remove
vegetation where it's blocking views, you know, extra signage and
those things I think are welcome and important. It's just
really those extreme measures that we did not support.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Yeah, so as far as you know, the curfews and
speed limit changes and weather restrictions, they're all gone. That
would have impacted you significantly, as you're saying, but did
you think that there was any merit to any of it?
Potentially for certain areas, more built up areas.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Look, I think we've got to consider it as a
whole approach. It's not just heavy vehicles that he using
those areas. You've got tourists, You've got other forms of
vehicles using those roads. So I think just targeting the
heavy vehicle industry was a bit unfair and one of
the things that we lobbied against was the fact that
there wasn't enough data to show that, you know, there
(02:15):
really needed to be those drastic changes. So I think
if they'd come back and said, look, here's the data
to support it, then we would have looked at that closely.
But none of that existed, so that was the basis
of our argument.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Yeah, and turning to this season upcoming, getting very close,
what's it looking like this year for the York Ninsula,
Spencer Gulf Air Peninsula areas.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
It's been very dry. It's been probably the dry start
in history for some areas across the state. So a
lot of the green that you'll see out there is
from rain events mostly that were late last years. That
rain was in the subsoil, so that creating the moisture
to get the crop up and running. And we've had
a few small rain events since then, but we're still
really waiting for that big growing season rain, so hope
(03:00):
that there will be somewhere in spring and hopefully that'll
take some of those crops closer the average. But yeah,
really a nice edge. At the moment, we're about six
to eight weeks behind in growth in most areas, so
I think we'll be saying harvest going Yeah, well well
late November, December, January this year, but we really need
(03:21):
those rains to accelerate that growth.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
That'll be over the Christmas in New Year's period again
like it was a few years ago. So any message
for people heading through the regions on holidays just to
stay safely.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Yeah, it really depends on how much growth we get.
There could be late but quite a short quick harvest
if we don't get in the rain that we needed.
But you know, we always advocate to make sure when
you're interacting, particularly those busy tourist deers, when you're interacting
with those heavy vehicles, you know, be patient and make
sure you follow the road rules you want to get
to your destination safely.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Meantime, we're just a couple of days away from the
official start of spring, and our local farmers spring cleaning
looks a little Different's Research and Development Corporation is reminding
local growers to ensure their silos are clean and structurally sound.
Our journo Ali Hall caught up with grd SE grain
storage specialist Ben White to learn more about the pre
(04:13):
harvest season prep processes.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
One of the things that when we think about harvest,
we thinking about all machinery we've got to get ready
to get the crop off. Sometimes we can forget about
we're actually going to put that crop and lots of
people seed on farm ready for next year's crop. And
also in particularly for markets that are maybe wanting grain
feed to them slowly, So for example more domestic markets
(04:35):
and even some export markets that might take grain later,
we need to think about how we're going to store
some of that grain for short to medium terms. And
so make sure that silos are in good shape ready
to go, that they're cleaned out, that they are free
of residues and grain from last year and potentially insect
pests is something we really need to get on top of.
And now is a great time for you to do it.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
What kind of checklist should farmers kind of have going
in their head when they do check their silos integrity.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Well, look, I think there's a few things we can do.
The first is just clean up, and so the very
basic hygiene is essential. So cleaning up and he spilt
grain that might have around the silo, making sure that
we've got a grain out of hoppers, clean out even ugers.
Normal handling equipment should be very clean as well. And
so the reason we say that is because it don't
takes a handful of grain to sustain insects over the
off months, if you like. And then when we do
(05:21):
put grain back in the stores, that'll be the seed
insect population. So we want to make sure we eradicate
all of those, so clean everything out. We suggest giving
things a washout on a warmer day and letting it
joy out and then using a structural treatment like guy
to mature set, which is an organic product but a
very effective product in terms of structural treatments. Go and
I think the o looking too, there's great opportunity to
(05:43):
do a pressure test. If you are intending on humigating
grain that might be in that silo, then pressure test
is a really simple way of making sure that the
silo is going to hold the required concentration of fuming.
It's for the requiet period of time to actually kill
any tests that might be in grain but you've got
in storage in.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
That Siloight, if farmer's die, don't go about doing this
prior to harvest. What are the consequences?
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Well, I think you know, the risk is that we
don't maintain grain in as good a quality as it
went into the storage. So you know, for example, we
might have intec pest damage, so we might have grain
that's stewed up and we might get coming out of
the end. And what they can actually do is obviously
reduce the quality of grain in the stack. It can
mean that we get lower prices for it when we
do go to sell it. It can mean that for example,
(06:24):
a fed that we might have stored may not germinate
as well. So we need to make sure that we
do these things and just I guess, get prepared and
that puts us in the best possible place to ensure
that the grain we do put in storage comes out
in as good equality as what it went in.
Speaker 4 (06:37):
So obviously this is very important on the Peninsula and
the Spencer Golf We've got a lot of grain growers
out here. Do you know of any incidents that have
occurred in either of these areas when it comes to
perhaps not properly checking solo integrity.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Looking it happens to the best of us from time
to time. There might be a b sila or a
field bin or something that we haven't checked. It might
mean that we end up with a parcelor grain that
we then have to fumigate. But the good thing is
that we can kind of address all the issues. Yes,
we might lose some quality of the grain, but you know,
all of these things can be addressed. Everyone will have
had grain storage intact in there, either seed or their
feed grain or market bound grain at some stage. It's
(07:13):
all about having options really. I think making sure that
we do have gas tightes eelable storages available to fumigate
insect pests. And look, there's a lot of bags used
on the EP and the Gulf, and I think grain
storage bags are a good option. They've just got to
be used right. So we need to select sites for
those that are accessible traffic wise. We need to make
sure that they're on a bit of a slope so
that water does run away from them. We also need
(07:34):
to make sure they're fenced off so they don't get damaged.
So those short to medium term storage options like bags,
even sheds, you know, we need to make sure that
they're nice and clean and all the areas are prepared
well in advance for putting bags down. Anyone needs any
help and they need some advice or they need some
independent feedback on what their plans might be for a
grain storage facility. I'm always here to help and people
(07:55):
can get in touch with us just by ringing one
at one hundred weevil it's one of one hundred and
nine double three at four five, and that will come
directly to my mobile phone and we can have a
chat about the situation and look at the options available.
And of course the Stored Grain website, which is the
jow is He Stored Grain website for all things grain
storage and there's a wealth of information there. So people
go to store grain dot com.
Speaker 5 (08:16):
Vey I Hardinsula, I hard Peninsula remember for Gray Rowand
Ramsey has dismissed ongoing speculation about potential job cuts at
Liberty one Steel in Wyala.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
There is a news on a temporary idling of the
blast furnace will not lead to job losses. Sam Talbert
has more.
Speaker 6 (08:37):
Thanks Jack in more good news Liberty one steal Sa.
They've got some new technology which they believe will enable
them to fully fire the furnace in just two to
three days and that should happen next week. Here's Rowan Ramsey.
Speaker 7 (08:50):
So there's no job losses and hopefully we'll get back
to normal fairly quickly. There were a lot of stories
circulating turn around Liberty one still not paying there in
on time, not paying their supplies on time. There is
some streak to that, given that not only had they
had a three month out into the furnish and now
another couple of weeks. There's also been a twenty five
percent drop in world steel prices, so things are tough
(09:12):
in the steel industry. But they have reached a working
agreement my understanding with their big external supplies. There are
some middle range ones that are also external. When I
say external management sits outside of whale management ownership, which
I believe they are negotiating on and think they will
come to good terms on. And then they've been concentrating.
(09:33):
They tell me on a smaller locally owned, locally living
supplies to try and check them up to date. Now
I hope that's the case that would have been told.
Speaker 6 (09:40):
As for the other rumors, mister Ramsey says, there's no
substance to them.
Speaker 7 (09:44):
There's been rumors flying around everywhere, and of course including
that Gina Reinhard at Bendew Whaler numerous times and Twiggies
Forest has been in there that the administrators were back.
Coulda meant to I've checked all these out. I can't
find any substance to the rumors at all. I'm prety
sure neither Twigger or Gena have ben the whaler. But
even if the people have been there, it has been
(10:06):
to discuss matters with Liberty one still, and certainly Cornment
is not there. So that's the kind of thing that
people put on Facebook. They're hear a rumor, it's a
Chinese whispering. Then it gets more and more distorted and
more outlandish, really, and I just to people have put
that stuff up. Look, if you're going to, just make
sure that what you're doing is true and correct, because
it just scares the pants off everyone and a real
(10:29):
setback for the community. What's going to happen next, We
don't know. I'm quite assured by my talks to Liberty
one Still that they're still there for the long term.
They've still got their long longer term plans with the
direct induction furnace and the electric art awareness. All these
things take time, and I know they've been there quite
a while and they spent a lot of money keeping
the place going, but I think we have to be
a bit patient. And I also took the opportunity to
(10:51):
raise all these matters with the Minister for Industry and
Ed Musick, who was pleased to be brought up to speed.
They weren't too bad. I've briefed him before, but these
are new things and it's very interested and focused on
Whaler and we're both of the opinion that not only
does Whaler need the stew works, the country needs the
stew worts. It's the only place that makes the heavy
long product in Australia and it's just it is not
(11:13):
a place Australia and afford to go to and not
have sovereign capacity in this area.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
We'll provide an update next week when the furnace is
hopefully up and running again. And finally today more Claire
Valley wine grape growers will have the chance to save
some cash with opening a round two of a vineyard
resting grant program. Research undertaken by SARDI in collaboration with
Wine Australia has shown the application of ethiphon spray to
vines reduces their output while maintaining their health. It comes
(11:41):
as the state continues to grapple with an oversupply of
red wine grapes following challenges in the market. Our reporter
Chris Guskett spoke to Minister for Primary Industry is Claire
Scriven about.
Speaker 8 (11:51):
The new round, so we're now offering an opportunity for
the second round. It's great to have SARDI involved with
this in collaboration with Wine Australia. It's really important in
terms of providing wine grape growers with options. We know
how hard it is for them at the moment. It's
been all of the issues with the global oversupply of
red wine grapes, the terarif issue with China, which fortunately
(12:12):
now due to a lot of work, has been resolved,
but there's still a long way to go for a
lot of businesses. So being involved in this trial enables
them to save up to about two thousand dollars per
hectare in their input costs, reducing the cost litigation, water application,
disease sprays, those sorts of things, and that gives them
just a little bit of breathing space in terms of
making decisions for their businesses going forward. But also from
(12:35):
what I've heard from Society is that the research so
far is showing there's no residues left in fruit the
following year, and it also shows that it reduces to
crop load the e F from by up to ninety percent,
and that's really vital in terms of maintaining healthy foliage
for the wine to store energy to set itself up
for the following season. I think it's something that it's
(12:57):
really worthwhile for growers to consider being involved in.
Speaker 9 (13:00):
You mentioned there was a take up of this within
the first round. How if you found the general industry's
perception towards Ethophon and whether or not they're going to
be taking it up in the long term.
Speaker 8 (13:10):
Look, I think it's fair to say that it's cautious
at the moment, and that's entirely understandable. People need to
be able to look at what the options are and
then make their decisions for their own businesses. But given
that it can save up to two thousand dollars per
hecta in their book costs, and also they can get
a redate of forty dollars per hectare for that's your
cost of epifon up to one thousand hectares per business,
(13:31):
I think it's certainly something that some girls will want
to look at and we'll see the benefits of.
Speaker 9 (13:36):
Is it of the preference that we try to keep
as many of these vines in place as we try
to navigate no out of this. I know that it's
a case on case basis for everybody, but would it
be preferable I suppose to have all of these vines
stay in place while we continue to try to work
our way out of the whole rank Well, I think
there's a couple.
Speaker 8 (13:53):
Of points on that. It's really important that individual businesses
make decisions for their businesses and in a context where
they're not having to make emergency decisions. So that's where
the saving of the input costs can really come in,
giving that breathing space to growers to make their decision
taken into into account all the factors that are affecting
their business. In terms of overall there are various perspectives.
(14:16):
Certainly some of the reports that have come out has
suggested that there does need to be a change in
terms of the number of vines, But similarly that you know,
a white spread viinefall is not going to be beneficial
and can have some effects that are the opposite of
what's in the long term interest of the industry. Can
have some perverse effects. For example, vinefall on one side
(14:36):
of a border, and yet there's plant things on the
other father board in nearby. Those sorts of things mean
that there's most simple answer. So I guess the way
that we're looking at this as a government is we're
trying to provide as many different tools as possible within
the scope of state government. So things like the one
point eight five million dollar re engagement package with China
when the tariffs are lifted, the direct financial support for
(14:58):
red Wine Great Growers fifteen hundred dollars through the Rural
Support Fund, so very things like that, as well as
the opportunitist to try and diversify into other markets. So
there's not a single solution. There are lots of tools
that we're trying to put in place and that will
be relevant to different businesses depending on their particular circumstances.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
And that's your weekly news wrap across the Air Peninsula
and surrounds. Don't forget. You can hear iHeart Air Peninsula
on the iHeart app or wherever you get your podcasts.
I'm Jackie Limb. Join us again next week for more local,
trusted and free news Ihart Peninsula
Coming up almost time for a spring clean.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Hi.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
I'm Jackie Limb with iHeart Air Peninsula, your weekly local
news wrap for the Air Peninsula and surrounds. But first,
the heavy vehicle restrictions proposed by the YP Council won't
be implemented. It comes after grain Producers essay argued the
curfews and speed limit changes would significantly impact grain producers,
including risking efficiency, grain quality, and creating driver fatigue. I
(00:29):
caught up with GPSA CEO, Brad Perry earlier this week
to hear how they're feeling about the changes to the
strategy and the upcoming harvest season.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
So the Your Pininicular Council had put forward a new
heavy vehicle strategy and they were proposing to put in
place and what we would call sort of draconian measures
around nightcurfeus and weather restrictions on heavy vehicle access in
the region. So we were quite critical of the proposals
that were put forward. But you know, in the end,
(00:58):
kudos to the Your peninicul account and the counselors for
listening to our concerns and the concerns of the community.
Because there was about eight hundred submissions that went through
and I understand that's a record for the or finincual Council.
So you know, we really do appreciate that they took
those concerns on board and made the necessary changes.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
So the strategy that remains does to have a few
things on their pertaining to grain producers.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Oh, that's right. So some of it's actually aspects as
far as looking to upgrade particular roads, looking to remove
vegetation where it's blocking views, you know, extra signage and
those things I think are welcome and important. It's just
really those extreme measures that we did not support.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Yeah, so as far as you know, the curfews and
speed limit changes and weather restrictions, they're all gone. That
would have impacted you significantly, as you're saying, but did
you think that there was any merit to any of it?
Potentially for certain areas, more built up areas.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Look, I think we've got to consider it as a
whole approach. It's not just heavy vehicles that he using
those areas. You've got tourists, You've got other forms of
vehicles using those roads. So I think just targeting the
heavy vehicle industry was a bit unfair and one of
the things that we lobbied against was the fact that
there wasn't enough data to show that, you know, there
(02:15):
really needed to be those drastic changes. So I think
if they'd come back and said, look, here's the data
to support it, then we would have looked at that closely.
But none of that existed, so that was the basis
of our argument.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Yeah, and turning to this season upcoming, getting very close,
what's it looking like this year for the York Ninsula,
Spencer Gulf Air Peninsula areas.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
It's been very dry. It's been probably the dry start
in history for some areas across the state. So a
lot of the green that you'll see out there is
from rain events mostly that were late last years. That
rain was in the subsoil, so that creating the moisture
to get the crop up and running. And we've had
a few small rain events since then, but we're still
really waiting for that big growing season rain, so hope
(03:00):
that there will be somewhere in spring and hopefully that'll
take some of those crops closer the average. But yeah,
really a nice edge. At the moment, we're about six
to eight weeks behind in growth in most areas, so
I think we'll be saying harvest going Yeah, well well
late November, December, January this year, but we really need
(03:21):
those rains to accelerate that growth.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
That'll be over the Christmas in New Year's period again
like it was a few years ago. So any message
for people heading through the regions on holidays just to
stay safely.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Yeah, it really depends on how much growth we get.
There could be late but quite a short quick harvest
if we don't get in the rain that we needed.
But you know, we always advocate to make sure when
you're interacting, particularly those busy tourist deers, when you're interacting
with those heavy vehicles, you know, be patient and make
sure you follow the road rules you want to get
to your destination safely.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Meantime, we're just a couple of days away from the
official start of spring, and our local farmers spring cleaning
looks a little Different's Research and Development Corporation is reminding
local growers to ensure their silos are clean and structurally sound.
Our journo Ali Hall caught up with grd SE grain
storage specialist Ben White to learn more about the pre
(04:13):
harvest season prep processes.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
One of the things that when we think about harvest,
we thinking about all machinery we've got to get ready
to get the crop off. Sometimes we can forget about
we're actually going to put that crop and lots of
people seed on farm ready for next year's crop. And
also in particularly for markets that are maybe wanting grain
feed to them slowly, So for example more domestic markets
(04:35):
and even some export markets that might take grain later,
we need to think about how we're going to store
some of that grain for short to medium terms. And
so make sure that silos are in good shape ready
to go, that they're cleaned out, that they are free
of residues and grain from last year and potentially insect
pests is something we really need to get on top of.
And now is a great time for you to do it.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
What kind of checklist should farmers kind of have going
in their head when they do check their silos integrity.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Well, look, I think there's a few things we can do.
The first is just clean up, and so the very
basic hygiene is essential. So cleaning up and he spilt
grain that might have around the silo, making sure that
we've got a grain out of hoppers, clean out even ugers.
Normal handling equipment should be very clean as well. And
so the reason we say that is because it don't
takes a handful of grain to sustain insects over the
off months, if you like. And then when we do
(05:21):
put grain back in the stores, that'll be the seed
insect population. So we want to make sure we eradicate
all of those, so clean everything out. We suggest giving
things a washout on a warmer day and letting it
joy out and then using a structural treatment like guy
to mature set, which is an organic product but a
very effective product in terms of structural treatments. Go and
I think the o looking too, there's great opportunity to
(05:43):
do a pressure test. If you are intending on humigating
grain that might be in that silo, then pressure test
is a really simple way of making sure that the
silo is going to hold the required concentration of fuming.
It's for the requiet period of time to actually kill
any tests that might be in grain but you've got
in storage in.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
That Siloight, if farmer's die, don't go about doing this
prior to harvest. What are the consequences?
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Well, I think you know, the risk is that we
don't maintain grain in as good a quality as it
went into the storage. So you know, for example, we
might have intec pest damage, so we might have grain
that's stewed up and we might get coming out of
the end. And what they can actually do is obviously
reduce the quality of grain in the stack. It can
mean that we get lower prices for it when we
do go to sell it. It can mean that for example,
(06:24):
a fed that we might have stored may not germinate
as well. So we need to make sure that we
do these things and just I guess, get prepared and
that puts us in the best possible place to ensure
that the grain we do put in storage comes out
in as good equality as what it went in.
Speaker 4 (06:37):
So obviously this is very important on the Peninsula and
the Spencer Golf We've got a lot of grain growers
out here. Do you know of any incidents that have
occurred in either of these areas when it comes to
perhaps not properly checking solo integrity.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Looking it happens to the best of us from time
to time. There might be a b sila or a
field bin or something that we haven't checked. It might
mean that we end up with a parcelor grain that
we then have to fumigate. But the good thing is
that we can kind of address all the issues. Yes,
we might lose some quality of the grain, but you know,
all of these things can be addressed. Everyone will have
had grain storage intact in there, either seed or their
feed grain or market bound grain at some stage. It's
(07:13):
all about having options really. I think making sure that
we do have gas tightes eelable storages available to fumigate
insect pests. And look, there's a lot of bags used
on the EP and the Gulf, and I think grain
storage bags are a good option. They've just got to
be used right. So we need to select sites for
those that are accessible traffic wise. We need to make
sure that they're on a bit of a slope so
that water does run away from them. We also need
(07:34):
to make sure they're fenced off so they don't get damaged.
So those short to medium term storage options like bags,
even sheds, you know, we need to make sure that
they're nice and clean and all the areas are prepared
well in advance for putting bags down. Anyone needs any
help and they need some advice or they need some
independent feedback on what their plans might be for a
grain storage facility. I'm always here to help and people
(07:55):
can get in touch with us just by ringing one
at one hundred weevil it's one of one hundred and
nine double three at four five, and that will come
directly to my mobile phone and we can have a
chat about the situation and look at the options available.
And of course the Stored Grain website, which is the
jow is He Stored Grain website for all things grain
storage and there's a wealth of information there. So people
go to store grain dot com.
Speaker 5 (08:16):
Vey I Hardinsula, I hard Peninsula remember for Gray Rowand
Ramsey has dismissed ongoing speculation about potential job cuts at
Liberty one Steel in Wyala.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
There is a news on a temporary idling of the
blast furnace will not lead to job losses. Sam Talbert
has more.
Speaker 6 (08:37):
Thanks Jack in more good news Liberty one steal Sa.
They've got some new technology which they believe will enable
them to fully fire the furnace in just two to
three days and that should happen next week. Here's Rowan Ramsey.
Speaker 7 (08:50):
So there's no job losses and hopefully we'll get back
to normal fairly quickly. There were a lot of stories
circulating turn around Liberty one still not paying there in
on time, not paying their supplies on time. There is
some streak to that, given that not only had they
had a three month out into the furnish and now
another couple of weeks. There's also been a twenty five
percent drop in world steel prices, so things are tough
(09:12):
in the steel industry. But they have reached a working
agreement my understanding with their big external supplies. There are
some middle range ones that are also external. When I
say external management sits outside of whale management ownership, which
I believe they are negotiating on and think they will
come to good terms on. And then they've been concentrating.
(09:33):
They tell me on a smaller locally owned, locally living
supplies to try and check them up to date. Now
I hope that's the case that would have been told.
Speaker 6 (09:40):
As for the other rumors, mister Ramsey says, there's no
substance to them.
Speaker 7 (09:44):
There's been rumors flying around everywhere, and of course including
that Gina Reinhard at Bendew Whaler numerous times and Twiggies
Forest has been in there that the administrators were back.
Coulda meant to I've checked all these out. I can't
find any substance to the rumors at all. I'm prety
sure neither Twigger or Gena have ben the whaler. But
even if the people have been there, it has been
(10:06):
to discuss matters with Liberty one still, and certainly Cornment
is not there. So that's the kind of thing that
people put on Facebook. They're hear a rumor, it's a
Chinese whispering. Then it gets more and more distorted and
more outlandish, really, and I just to people have put
that stuff up. Look, if you're going to, just make
sure that what you're doing is true and correct, because
it just scares the pants off everyone and a real
(10:29):
setback for the community. What's going to happen next, We
don't know. I'm quite assured by my talks to Liberty
one Still that they're still there for the long term.
They've still got their long longer term plans with the
direct induction furnace and the electric art awareness. All these
things take time, and I know they've been there quite
a while and they spent a lot of money keeping
the place going, but I think we have to be
a bit patient. And I also took the opportunity to
(10:51):
raise all these matters with the Minister for Industry and
Ed Musick, who was pleased to be brought up to speed.
They weren't too bad. I've briefed him before, but these
are new things and it's very interested and focused on
Whaler and we're both of the opinion that not only
does Whaler need the stew works, the country needs the
stew worts. It's the only place that makes the heavy
long product in Australia and it's just it is not
(11:13):
a place Australia and afford to go to and not
have sovereign capacity in this area.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
We'll provide an update next week when the furnace is
hopefully up and running again. And finally today more Claire
Valley wine grape growers will have the chance to save
some cash with opening a round two of a vineyard
resting grant program. Research undertaken by SARDI in collaboration with
Wine Australia has shown the application of ethiphon spray to
vines reduces their output while maintaining their health. It comes
(11:41):
as the state continues to grapple with an oversupply of
red wine grapes following challenges in the market. Our reporter
Chris Guskett spoke to Minister for Primary Industry is Claire
Scriven about.
Speaker 8 (11:51):
The new round, so we're now offering an opportunity for
the second round. It's great to have SARDI involved with
this in collaboration with Wine Australia. It's really important in
terms of providing wine grape growers with options. We know
how hard it is for them at the moment. It's
been all of the issues with the global oversupply of
red wine grapes, the terarif issue with China, which fortunately
(12:12):
now due to a lot of work, has been resolved,
but there's still a long way to go for a
lot of businesses. So being involved in this trial enables
them to save up to about two thousand dollars per
hectare in their input costs, reducing the cost litigation, water application,
disease sprays, those sorts of things, and that gives them
just a little bit of breathing space in terms of
making decisions for their businesses going forward. But also from
(12:35):
what I've heard from Society is that the research so
far is showing there's no residues left in fruit the
following year, and it also shows that it reduces to
crop load the e F from by up to ninety percent,
and that's really vital in terms of maintaining healthy foliage
for the wine to store energy to set itself up
for the following season. I think it's something that it's
(12:57):
really worthwhile for growers to consider being involved in.
Speaker 9 (13:00):
You mentioned there was a take up of this within
the first round. How if you found the general industry's
perception towards Ethophon and whether or not they're going to
be taking it up in the long term.
Speaker 8 (13:10):
Look, I think it's fair to say that it's cautious
at the moment, and that's entirely understandable. People need to
be able to look at what the options are and
then make their decisions for their own businesses. But given
that it can save up to two thousand dollars per
hecta in their book costs, and also they can get
a redate of forty dollars per hectare for that's your
cost of epifon up to one thousand hectares per business,
(13:31):
I think it's certainly something that some girls will want
to look at and we'll see the benefits of.
Speaker 9 (13:36):
Is it of the preference that we try to keep
as many of these vines in place as we try
to navigate no out of this. I know that it's
a case on case basis for everybody, but would it
be preferable I suppose to have all of these vines
stay in place while we continue to try to work
our way out of the whole rank Well, I think
there's a couple.
Speaker 8 (13:53):
Of points on that. It's really important that individual businesses
make decisions for their businesses and in a context where
they're not having to make emergency decisions. So that's where
the saving of the input costs can really come in,
giving that breathing space to growers to make their decision
taken into into account all the factors that are affecting
their business. In terms of overall there are various perspectives.
(14:16):
Certainly some of the reports that have come out has
suggested that there does need to be a change in
terms of the number of vines, But similarly that you know,
a white spread viinefall is not going to be beneficial
and can have some effects that are the opposite of
what's in the long term interest of the industry. Can
have some perverse effects. For example, vinefall on one side
(14:36):
of a border, and yet there's plant things on the
other father board in nearby. Those sorts of things mean
that there's most simple answer. So I guess the way
that we're looking at this as a government is we're
trying to provide as many different tools as possible within
the scope of state government. So things like the one
point eight five million dollar re engagement package with China
when the tariffs are lifted, the direct financial support for
(14:58):
red Wine Great Growers fifteen hundred dollars through the Rural
Support Fund, so very things like that, as well as
the opportunitist to try and diversify into other markets. So
there's not a single solution. There are lots of tools
that we're trying to put in place and that will
be relevant to different businesses depending on their particular circumstances.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
And that's your weekly news wrap across the Air Peninsula
and surrounds. Don't forget. You can hear iHeart Air Peninsula
on the iHeart app or wherever you get your podcasts.
I'm Jackie Limb. Join us again next week for more local,
trusted and free news Ihart Peninsula
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