General News
4 July, 2024
New plan guiding $4.6B representation
AN ambitious new Strategic Plan to guide a south west representative body over the next four years has been unveiled.
The plan was unveiled by Food and Fibre Great South Coast, the representative body for food and fibre production businesses and their vast supply-chains in south west Victoria; which encompasses the Corangamite, Moyne, Glenelg, Southern Grampians and Warrnambool City local government areas.
Chair Oonagh Kilpatrick said the organisation’s purpose was to grow the value of regional food and fibre production, improving prosperity and the resilience of local communities.
“South west Victoria is Australia’s top agricultural production region, delivering over $4.6 billion in output annually,” she said.
“The food and fibre sectors are also the region’s largest, contributing 60 per cent of the region’s GRP and 21.6 per cent of all jobs.
“While these statistics are impressive, we know that we are only touching the tip of the iceberg.
“This region is capable of producing so much more through the sharing of knowledge, adopting best practice, government support - and by that, I mean reviewing any barriers that inhibit the growth of our sector – and embracing innovation.”
Ms Kilpatrick said the new Strategic Plan prioritises collaboration, engagement, and outcomes.
“Our primary audiences are our food and fibre sector and stakeholders,” she said.
“We are a public-facing organisation, and we take opportunities to assist our partners and members to proactively engage our wider communities and consumers.
“The plan emphasises that, as a cross-sectoral body, we collaborate, facilitate, convene, and empower people and organisations to innovate ideas in a way that fundamentally assist our region to grow and develop through four strategic pillars.
“These are: to drive value-add across the great south coast region; advocate for regional sustainability, wellbeing and adaptation; champion the great south coast as Australia’s premier food and fibre region; and sustain our organisation to serve our communities in the longer term.”
Ms Kilpatrick said the new Strategic Plan will guide the volunteer board, which is comprised of enthusiastic individuals representing the different food and fibre sectors from across the wider region, in their actions to drive regional value-add and advocate for regional sustainability and wellbeing.
“We are passionate, energised and focused on delivering for our local food and fibre sectors and, ultimately, the wider community,” she said.