The Bundaberg District Canegrower - Bundaberg CANEGROWERS

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The Bundaberg District Canegrower - Bundaberg CANEGROWERS
The Bundaberg District Canegrower                                                           Volume 15, Issue 1

                                            The Bundaberg District Canegrower
                                                                                                             Volume 15, Issue 1
                                                                                                                  January 2019

Chairman’s Comment

H      appy New Year. I hope you all
       had some time off to celebrate the
festive season and charge your batteries
                                            Crop outlook
                                            At this stage it's anyone‘s guess at crop
                                            size for 2019. I think it would be fair to
                                                                                            April. Applications by a grower to
                                                                                            join a harvesting group must be
                                                                                            received by the Mill Owner by the
for 2019. I think that most of us have      say that it's behind where it should            21 April of each year and the Mill
already used up most of our recharge        be. Rain is desperately needed now. I'd         Owner must advise the grower by
with the trying weather conditions          hope we can improve on last years               the 5 May of that year of the
continuing and showing little signs of      tonnage for everyone's benefit.                 grower‘s new Delivery Point to
improving over the coming weeks.            Preliminary discussions with Bundaberg          ensure the efficient and economic
                                            Sugar suggest that Millaquin will               operation of the Mill transport
Hot, dry and windy has been the             operate in six (6) day mode and Bingera         system. Growers who have been
weather pattern over the last six (6) to    will be in five (5) day mode. For that to       advised of a new Delivery Point
eight (8) weeks and it's certainly taking   change we would need to see a crop              shall notify the Mill Owner by the 15
its toll on the crop. Days over 30          well above 1.5 million tonnes. Let's            May if they will accept the new
degrees and winds above 20 kph almost       hope.                                           Delivery Point. In the absence of any
everyday has, along with crop use, used                                                     Application to the Mill Owner from
all available soil moisture. In many        Sugar Price                                     a grower prior to 21 April, and any
cases, crops that have been irrigated are   The sugar price has improved slightly           notification of acceptance of a
showing signs of stress so it's not good    recently to be just above thirteen (13)         Delivery Point by a grower to the
for those that haven't. Most of us are      cents per pound. In some cases that             Mill Owner prior to the 15 May for
struggling to cope with the continuing      might cover costs. That equates to about        those growers advised of a new
dry spell and irrigation schedule that is   $425/tonne for the 2019 crop. Still a           Delivery Point, the grower‘s
longer than seven (7) to ten (10) days is   long way from twenty (20) cents but at          membership of their harvesting
only maintaining crop. We can only          least it is improving.                          group shall be deemed to be the
hope we get some reprieve soon.                                                             same as the previous season.
                                            Roads
                                                                                         In order to avoid some of the issues that
                                            We will be compiling our list of roads
                                                                                         arose last year I suggest you sort out
                                            that require maintenance before the start
                                                                                         your harvesting needs sooner than the
                                            of the crush to take to Council. If you
                                                                                         21 April deadline.
                                            have a road issue please contact the
                                            office and we will add it to the list.
                                                                                         Proposed Reef Regulations
                                                                                         I have invited The Hon. Leeanne Enoch
                                            Harvesting Group
                                                                                         MP Minister for Environment and the
         Action List                        arrangements                                 Great Barrier Reef, Minister for Science
                                            The collective contract stipulates the       and Minister for the Arts and her key
                                            following arrangements for grouping.         advisors to participate in a tour of the
 Closing date for the 2019
                                                                                         Bundaberg/ Isis / Maryborough region
 autumn approved seed                       8. Grouping                                  to showcase some of the many voluntary
 d i s tr ib ut io n c los e s 1                                                         programs that we have implemented to
 February 2019                                 8.1 Formation.— The Mill Owner            improve the environmental, social and
                                               shall provide an indication of the        economic sustainability of our sugar
                                               likely modes of crush for the coming      cane based agribusiness industry.
                                               Season in writing to Bundaberg
                                               CANEGROWERS Ltd by the 14                                       (Continued on page 2)

             Bundaberg CANEGROWERS Ltd Newsletter
    Page 1   Phone (07) 4151 2555 Fax: (07) 4153 1986
             Email: bdb_office@bdbcanegrowers.com.au
             Website: www.bdbcanegrowers.com.au
The Bundaberg District Canegrower - Bundaberg CANEGROWERS
The Bundaberg District Canegrower                                                                     Volume 15, Issue 1

Chairman’s Comment continued
(Continued from page 1)                                  agricultural power use patterns on the     health check to our members. This
                                                         network in terms of base load and off      service is available to all members,
In collaboration with the Maryborough                    -peak use and including worthwhile         regardless if you have your insurances
and CANEGROWERS Isis boards the                          time-of-use incentives for agricultural    placed with us or not.
tour will include an overview of the                     businesses during off-peak periods
initiatives being undertaken in the                      and over weekends;                         If you are wanting an Insurance Health
region to demonstrate the advanced                      That QCA recommend promotion of            Check, please contact our qualified
sustainable practices and hopefully                      increased co mpetition in the              insurance professional, Ray Goodwin
demonstrate the fact that regulations to                 electricity market (Allocation of CSO      on 0418 891 783 to arrange an
protect the reef are not required in                     to the ERGON network division of           appointment.
this region.                                             Energy Queensland);
                                                        That QCA recommend continuation            Allan Dingle
The Isis, Maryborough and Bundaberg                      of the policy to fund the SFIT from        Chairman
CANEGROWERS organisations have                           general revenue.
also written to our Federal electorate
MPs, Ken O‘Dowd, Keith Pitt and Llew                   Unless electricity prices are affordable
O‘Brien advising them we                               (16 cent/kwh ceiling) and as such
fundamentally support peer review of                   reduced by at least 33% on current we
the underlying reef science and the                    are in danger of significant employment
establishment of the Institute for Policy              disruption to our community and having
Science Quality Control as proposed by                 dams full of water and no one able to
Dr Peter Ridd.                                                                                        Indicative QSL Pool Prices
                                                       afford to draw on them.                                    (AUD per tonne)
QCA Regulated Retail                                                                                 Current as of 11 January 2019
                                                       Soybean Update
Electricity Prices for 2019/20                         The majority of the earlier planted                                           Gross Price
BRIG has lodged a submission with the                  soybeans are looking very good and are                                        AUD/T IPS
QCA on the 2019/20 regulatory
                                                                                                             QSL Pool
                                                       currently flowering. These soybeans                                           2018 Season
electricity price setting process. We                  have now entered the key reproductive
understand that the state government                   phase and to maximise yields,                  Harvest Pool                      $371
directs the QCA to treat the 2019/20                   limitations such as water stress need to       Actively Managed Pool             $369
price determination in a given                         be avoided. Given the current weather
methodological way, and that leaves                    conditions this is not an easy task as         Guaranteed Floor Pool             $347
very little room for any alternatives to               growers juggle maximising soybean and          US Quota Pool                     $755
be considered.                                         cane yields and paying electricity bills.
                                                       The younger, smaller plants are                2-Season Forward Pool             $399
However we have asked :                                struggling a bit as they have had little       Early Start Actively              $371
                                                       rain since they were planted making            Managed Pool
 That QCA formalise what BRIG and                     good irrigation paramount to try and get
  many others have been reporting.                     the plant as large as possible before they     2019 2-Season Actively            $401
  That is, there is no need for demand                 start to flower.
                                                                                                      Managed Pool
  based tariffs for small business
  (including irrigators) in regional                   With most domestic grain prices staying
  Queensland to ration use and mitigate                high due to ongoing drought conditions
  against further network build. There                 across the country, there is good support
  is sufficient capacity in the system for             for soybean prices. If growers wish to
  the foreseeable future.                              plant soybeans now they need to select
 That QCA recommend that                              the correct varieties and have the correct
  transitional tariffs and obsolete tariffs            plant population as it is outside the
  be converted to ―legacy‖ tariffs and                 planting window for the popular A-
  remain available for existing                        6785.
  cu sto me rs to 2 0 2 5 . Thi s is
  particularly relevant to water                       Insurance Health Check
  infrastructure providers such as                     It is worth taking the time to do a health
  SunWater.                                            check on your insurance, this will
 That QCA recommend                                   ensure that you have the right level of       For further pricing information please
  implementation of volume based food                  cover if the unthinkable happens. Ray                 visit www.qsl.com.au
  a n d fi b r e t a r i f f s , r e f l e c t i n g   Goodwin is offering a free insurance
     Page 2
The Bundaberg District Canegrower - Bundaberg CANEGROWERS
The Bundaberg District Canegrower                                                                         Volume 15, Issue 1

QFF Energy Savers Plus Program Extension Reserve List
Open

T    he Energy Savers Plus Program
     Extension (ESPPE) has now
commenced and will deliver 200 funded
                                           improvements, through the
                                           implementation of commercially
                                           feasible and practical energy
                                                                                           wish to be involved should the
                                                                                           availability arise.

energy audits to Queensland farmers. As    management strategies and solutions.            If you would like to be included on the
part of the program successful                                                             reserve list, please email your interest to
participants receive a grant up to         The initial 200 program participants            espp@dnrme.qld.gov.au. Additional
$20,000 per business based on a 50% co     have already been selected, however             information on the ESPPE program can
-contribution for implementation of the    should the circumstances of any of the          be found on the participant web page at:
audit recommendations. The main            selected participants change and they           https://www.qff.org.au/participant -
objective of this program is to assist     can no longer proceed with the program,         information/.
agricultural businesses identify and       DNRME have opened up a reserve list
realise energy savings or productivity     for any additional farmers who may

2019 CANEGROWERS’ Elections
T    he timetable has been set for the
     2019 CANEGROWERS Election
process. Held every three (3) years, the
                                           CANEGROWERS elected positions.

                                           These local boards then nominate
                                                                                           from Wednesday, 1 May 2019.

                                                                                           The first step towards nomination is to
elections are an opportunity for all       representatives to sit on the                   contact Allan Dingle on 0427 006 956
members to elect Directors to sit on the   CANEGROWERS Queensland Policy                   or Dale Holliss on 0417 009 236.
board of their local CANEGROWERS           Council which elects the ne w
district.                                  CANEGROWERS Queensland Board.                   CANEGROWERS Queensland will
                                                                                           conduct the election if required.
Bundaberg has six (6) Directors that sit   Members wishing to nominate for a
on the Boards and nominations for the      district board position have until 5pm on       Members are urged to ensure that their
positions open Monday, 28 January          Monday, 18 February to act. The                 membership records are up to date. The
2019. Both men and women of all ages       election process will be finalised by           official roll for each election is to be
are encouraged to nominate as              Monday, 15 April 2019 and the new               finalised by 5pm on Monday 18
candidates fo r these impo rtant           directors will take on their official duties    February 2019.

2018 Indicative Advances Program
Based on QSL reports 28 December 2018

                                                                                          Notes:
                         Uncommitted Pool Advance                FPFC Advance             1. The program above represents indicative advances
 Advance Dates                                                                               payable by QSL to Bundaberg Sugar based on estimated
                              (AUD/tonne IPS)                       Rates                    pool returns, the marketing plan and forecast cash flows
                                                                                             at the time. These indicative amounts will be reviewed
     Payment              Increase               To                                          on a regular basis and updated for changes in forecasts.
                                                                                             Advances highlighted in bold in the table above have
       Date                                                                                  been approved by the QSL Board.
                                                                                          2. This program is indicative only and should not be taken
      Initial                                 $237.00                $237.00                 as a commitment by Queensland Sugar (or Bundaberg
                                                                                             Sugar) with regard to the estimated pool return, advance
    24-Aug-18              $11.00             $248.00                $248.00                 rate or date of increase. The program may change
                                                                                             during the season depending on movements in a number
    19-Oct-18              $13.00             $261.00                $261.00                 of factors including the marketing plan, sugar price and
                                                                                             currency movements and timing of cash flows.
    23-Nov-18              $30.00             $291.00                $291.00              3. The advance rates are GST exclusive.
                                                                                          4. The net adjustment, for the estimated US Quota and
    14-Dec-18              $4.00              $295.00                $295.00                 QSL premiums & costs, to be added /(subtracted) to /
                                                                                             (from) to ICE No.11 and Foreign Exchange pricing
    25-Jan-19              $6.00              $301.00                 80.0%                  results for the Committed Pools (e.g. Fixed Price
                                                                                             Forward Contract FPFC) is $2.80.
    22-Feb-19              $9.00              $310.00                 82.5%               Disclaimer: This report has been prepared for general information
                                                                                          only. It does not have regard to the specific circumstances of any
    22-Mar-19              $19.00             $329.00                 87.5%               individual or group who may read it. It is not intended as an offer to
                                                                                          buy or sell commodities, futures or options, nor is the accuracy of
    19-Apr-19              $10.00             $339.00                 90.0%               the report content guaranteed. However, as market circumstances
                                                                                          can change quickly, Queensland Sugar Limited and Bundaberg
                                                                                          Sugar Ltd disclaim any responsibility or liability for decisions or
    17-May-19              $9.00              $348.00                 92.5%               actions of any individual relying in whole or in part on information
                                                                                          contained herein. Individuals contemplating decisions relating to any
    21-Jun-19              $9.00              $357.00                 95.0%               material discussed in this publication should take appropriate
                                                                                          financial advice.

       Final
    Page 3                 $19.00             $376.00                100.0%
The Bundaberg District Canegrower - Bundaberg CANEGROWERS
The Bundaberg District Canegrower                                                                Volume 15, Issue 1

Student scholarships available

I  n partnership with industry sponsors,
   the AgriFutures™ Horizon
Scholarship is an initiative supporting
                                             knowledge at a range of industry
                                             events.
                                                                                      Research shows that Horizon Scholars
                                                                                      are typically two (2) to three (3) years
                                                                                      ahead of other university graduates in
students enrolled in full-time study at    Who can apply                              terms of their career readiness and
an Australian university by providing:     To be eligible for the Horizon             industry networks.
                                           Scholarship, students must be an
 A bursary of $5,000 per year for the     Australian citizen or permanent resident   Previously, the Horizon Scholarship
  final two (2) years of your degree       enrolled full-time in their last two (2)   program was eligible to students that
 Professional development workshops       years o f an agriculture -related          were in their first two (2) years of
 Annual industry work placements          undergraduate degree at an Australian      tertiary studies. Now, the Horizon
  aligned with the scholar‘s areas of      university with a maximum two-year         Scholarship is offered to students in
  interest and their sponsor‘s industry    gap b et ween hi gh sch oo l and           their last years of study, to best connect
 Opportunities to network and gain        tertiary study.                            students with industry networks and
                                                                                      giving them this continued advantage
                                                                                      when entering the workforce.

                                                                                      Suitable degrees include, but are not
                                                                                      limited to:
                                                                                       Agricultural Science
                                                                                       Rural Science
                                                                                       Livestock/Animal Science
                                                                                       Veterinary Science
                                                                                       Agribusiness
                                                                                       Plant Science
                                                                                       Agricultural Economics
                                                                                       Resource Management
                                                                                       Sustainability
                                                                                       Food Security
                                                                                       Agricultural Economics
                                                                                       Science, Technology, Engineering or
                                                                                         Maths (STEM) with major studies
                                                                                         and subject selections relevant to, and
                                                                                         aligned with, agriculture

                                                                                      Scholarship recipients will be selected
                                                                                      on the basis of their commitment to
                                                                                      a career in agriculture, as well as their
                                                                                      leadership potential and tertiary
                                                                                      academic record to date.

                                                                                      Recipients will be required to attend the
                                                                                      workshop (held in the first week of July
                                                                                      in 2019), and complete two (2) weeks
                                                                                      of work placement each year of the
                                                                                      scholarship. Reasonable costs
                                                                                      associated with these activities are
                                                                                      covered by the program.

                                                                                      Applications for the AgriFutures
                                                                                      Horizon Scholarship are now open.
                                                                                      Students studying an agriculture-related
                                                                                      degree, in their last two (2) years of
                                                                                      study, are eligible to apply to receive a
                                                                                      $5,000 bursary and professional
                                                                                      development opportunities. Apply
                                                                                      before 1 March 2019 at https://
                                                                                      w w w. a g r i fu t u r e s . c o m. a u / p e o p l e -
                                                                                      leadership/horizon-scholarship/
    Page 4
The Bundaberg District Canegrower                                                           Volume 15, Issue 1

NEXTCROP/2019: development program for future leaders
for the Australian Sugar Industry
What is NEXTCROP/2019?                       You will be ready to step up and be          September 2019. Each session will be
NEXTCROP/2019 is a personal and              a leader and you‘ll have a sneaky            run over 1-3 days and each will require
professional leadership program for the      suspicion you already are (or could be)      travel to locations across Queensland
Australian sugarcane industry, funded        an innovator, collaborator and change-       and NSW. To be offered a place, you
by Sugar Research Australia. In its first    maker. We‘re looking for people who          must be willing and able to attend all
year, the program is targeted at             are early to mid-career and have shown       sessions.
sugarcane growers. The program is            themselves to be an emerging leader of
designed to find and cultivate the next      the sector, regardless of age.               NEXTCROP/2019 is funded by Sugar
crop of individuals who are ready to                                                      Research Australia, however all
step up and take their businesses and our    How do I apply?                              participants are expected to pay $750 as
industry to the next level.                  A p p l i c a t i o n s          f o r       a contribution to their place in the
                                             NEXTCROP/2019 close on 30                    program. This will be the only outlay as
Participants will hear from some of          January 2019. SRA will be looking for        travel and accommodation costs are
Australia‘s best speakers on topics such     you to showcase why they should invest       included.
as innovation, leadership and culture.       in you as leader in our next crop.
You‘ll connect with people from across       Following your application, a selection      More information
the Industry and engage with industry        panel will be convened to assess all         More details about the program and
influencers for mentoring and project        applicants and determine who will be         how to apply are available on the
work.                                        the NEXTCROP/2019 participants.              following website: https://
                                                                                          www.nextcropleaders.com/. 
Who should apply?                            What kind of commitment and
Aimed at sugarcane growers, what             cost is involved?
you will have in common with other           If you‘re successful, you will be
applicants is your open, creative,           required to attend four (4) face-to-face
inquisitive mind and a demonstrated          sessions, and two (2) webinars and a
commitment to the sugar                      series of online units, between April and
industry's success.

Farm Management Grants

F    arm Management Grants are now
     available to assist eligible
Queensland primary producers or their
                                             Rebates of up to 50 per cent of the
                                             amount paid for professional advice, to a
                                             maximum of $2,500 for each financial
                                                                                            enterprise from a suitably qualified
                                                                                            professional, at or after 23 March
                                                                                            2017.
relatives offset the costs of professional   year of the scheme, are available. To
advice associated with transferring an       receive a rebate for a financial year, an    Full eligibility information and terms
interest in the primary production           application must be received in that year    and conditions can be found in the Farm
enterprise.                                  and may include an application made          Management Grant guidelines (http://
                                             before professional advice is received.      www.qraa.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/
Costs eligible for the rebate include                                                     pdf_file/0006/7908/Farm-Management-
those for professional advice provided       This scheme will close to applications on    Grants-Guidelines-FINAL-V2.0.pdf)
by suitably qualified professionals          30 June 2019.
including          for    example,                                                        How to apply
accountants, succession advisors or          Eligibility                                  Applications for Farm Management
solicitors – view the Frequently Asked       To be eligible for a Farm Management         Grants can be made via the online portal
Questions (http://www.qraa.qld.gov.au/       Grant, you must:                             (https://applyonline.qraa.qld.gov.au/).
current-programs/farm-management-             be a primary producer, or a relative of
grants/farm-management-grants-faqs) or         the primary producer for a primary         For further information or assistance
guidelines (http://www.qraa.qld.gov.au/        production enterprise                      with your application, Freecall 1800 623
__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/7908/Farm-        have paid, or will pay for advice          946 or contact your local Regional Area
Manage me nt -Grants -G uidelines-             relating to transferring or acquiring an   Manager Mark Barrett on 4154 2874. or
FINAL.pdf ) for more details.                  interest in the primary production         0417 775 547

     Page 5
The Bundaberg District Canegrower                                                                            Volume 15, Issue 1

Have a digital electricity meter?
Check your electricity usage online with Ergon’s ‘My
Account’

F    rom 1 December 2017, new rules
     mean all new and replacement
electricity meters will be digital meters.
                                             and will be a valuable resource for
                                             anyone interested in gauging a better
                                             understanding of their electricity usage.
                                                                                                           registration-form.html or click on the
                                                                                                           My Account icon on the Ergon Retail
                                                                                                           Business homepage. If you require any
If you have a new digital meter, you                                                                       assistance please contact Courtney on
may notice that there are no longer          To register for My Account go to                              4151 2555.
‗previous‘ and ‗current‘ readings on         h t t p s : / / m ya c c o u n t . e r g o n . c o m. a u /
your Ergon bill as digital meters do not
record electricity use this way. They
measure usage, which is collated for the
month and put on your bill. For many
people, the meter readings were how
they kept track of their usage. For those
wondering how they can now monitor
their usage, Ergon has a free online tool
for small business customers known as
My Account. This gives customers the
ability to view and pay bills and manage
their account including access to up to
two (2) years of historical bills.

Ergon are currently in the process of
upgrading the features of My Account
which once completed, will greatly
improve the ability for irrigators with
digital meters to view and monitor their
kWh usage and demand load profile
online. These additional functions
should be ready for use in coming weeks

ERGON Safe Entry Policy
F    ollowing a significant number of
     injuries caused by entering
premises where dogs are unrestrained,
                                             What does securely restrained
                                             mean?
                                                                                                           Limitations
                                                                                                           The ―No Entry‖ policy may not apply if:
                                                                                                            A life threatening situation exists
                                             Securely restrained is defined as, the
ERGON has reviewed the hazards and           dog is:                                                          that requires immediate response
risks associated with this work practice .    Placed securely in the house or other                        A natural disaster has occurred that
                                                suitable location (i.e. placed inside                         requires ―making safe‖ and/or power
The following policy comes into effect          the premises without a means of                               supply restoration
on Monday, 14 January 2019 and must             escape); or                                                 Other unplanned emergency work is
apply to all workers when entering                                                                            required where the customer cannot
                                              Placed securely in a fenced off area
ERGON customer premises, whether                                                                              be notified of the requirement to
                                                separated from the area where
they are registered as having dogs or                                                                         restrain their dog/s before entry
                                                workers and contractors are required
not.
                                                to perform work (i.e. locked behind a                       Dog/s are free roaming in the public
 No entry to a customer premise                fence without means to escape); or                            domain
   where a dog/s cannot be confirmed
                                              Restrained by either a suitable rope                         Dog/s are capable of crossing
   as securely restrained
                                                or chain secured to a suitable anchor                         property boundaries.
 Once the dog/s has been confirmed             point away from the area where
   as securely restrained, entry may            workers and contractors are required                       For more information             visit
   occur.                                                                                                  www,ergon.com.au/safeentry.
                                                to perform work and ensures safe
                                                access (i.e. tied to a suitable anchor
                                                point).

    Page 6
The Bundaberg District Canegrower                                                                         Volume 15, Issue 1

                                                                                                               CLASSIFIED & JOB
                                                                                                               ADVERTISEMENTS
                                                                                                     As a free service to financial members,
                                                                                                     small suitable classified and employment
                                                                                                     advertisements of up to 30 words only
                                                                                                     will be printed.

                                                                                                     Advertisements will be accepted from
                                                                                                     non-members, charged at $11 per 7-word
                                                                                                     line or part thereof.

                                                                                                     Contact:
                                                                                                     Bundaberg CANEGROWERS Office on
                                                                                                     telephone 4151 2555 or fax 4153 1986.

                                                                                                               CLASSIFIEDS

                                                                                                      FOR SALE
                                                                                                      1 x TVT155 New Holland and 14 ton Carta
                                                                                                      Bin. 1 x 180 CASE PUMA and 14 ton Corridinni
                                                                                                      Bin. 1 x 3 row belt spreader (Fertiliser/
                                                                                                      Manure). Contact 0428 937 164 or email
                                                                                                      bunearth@bigpond.net.au

New Regulations on Casual Employment
F   ederal Minister for Jobs and
    Industrial Relations Kelly O'Dwyer
recently made two (2) important
                                                 This addresses a recent Fair Work
                                                 Commission (FWC) decision which
                                                 provides eligible award-reliant casual
                                                                                                         availability for rosters to give casual
                                                                                                         employees more say over when they
                                                                                                         work;
announcements that you need to know              employees with a right to request to               5.   Have employees tender their
about if you employ casual workers.              convert to full-time or part-time                       availability and provide shifts using a
                                                 employment.                                             workforce planning model that limits
WorkPac v Skene                                                                                          regular and systematic hours;
The Government will create new                   The details are still to be decided and it         6.   Having a statement on all rosters
regulations that employers who have              is understood that the Government will                  stating that casual hours are not a
been found to wrongly categorise                 be "consulting" businesses. What the                    guarantee of ongoing regular and
employees as casual, will be able to ask         Federal Government will specifically                    systematic work and can be changed,
the court to offset casual loadings              need to address is what rights employers                varied or cancelled dependent on
already paid, against any orders to              will have to refuse such requests.                      operational requirements and staffing
backpay those workers.                                                                                   levels;
                                                 What does this mean for you?                       7.   En s ur i n g ca s ua l e mp l o yme n t
T his p revents "do ub le -d ipp ing"            Employers can take some practical steps                 contracts specify that there is no
practices that could have resulted from          to reduce their level of risk such as:                  entitlement to ongoing and regular
the WorkPac v Skene case a few months            1. Comply with relevant Modern Award                    and systematic work and employees
ago, where a truck driver who was                   casual conversion clauses and                        are compensated with the 25% casual
employed casually through a labour-                 document all conversations with                      loading in lieu of annual leave and
hire firm, was found to be a full-time              employees who elect not to convert to                sick leave entitlements;
employee entitled to annual leave and               part-time or full-time employment               8.   Ensure pay slips specify payment of
sick pay.                                           when offered;                                        the 25% casual loading.
                                                 2. Offer casual employees part-time or
Extension of casual conversion                      full-time positions when they become            Need help?
                                                    available, again documenting all                Should you require any further advice
rights
                                                    related correspondence;                         regarding regular or systematic casuals,
The Federal Government said they will
                                                 3. Where possible, limit rosters to                please don't hesitate to contact Kate
legislate that "regular casual employees"
                                                    weekly or fortnightly;                          Odgaard on 4151 2555.
will have the right to request to move to
full-time or part-time employment.               4. Have employees tender their

       Articles appearing in The Bundaberg District Canegrower do not necessarily represent the policies and views of Bundaberg CANEGROWERS.

    Page 7
The Bundaberg District Canegrower                                                                  Volume 15, Issue 1

                                                         SUGAR SERVICES NEWS

Autumn Plant source inspections

T    he autumn planting season is fast
     approaching and BSSL staff will be
commencing inspections and RSD
                                                     need to provide at least two (2) weeks
                                                     notice prior to planting for inspection to
                                                     occur.
                                                                                                  laboratory for testing and results sent
                                                                                                  back to the grower. Once samples are
                                                                                                  collected and sent for analysis it usually
testing of grower plant sources in the                                                            takes a couple of weeks for the results to
next couple of weeks. Growers                        If you have stood over plants for an         return. The earlier these sources are
intending to plant should complete the               early autumn plant it is recommended         checked the easier it is to find and test
―plant source inspection form‖, which                you have these checked for suitability       an alternate source if the first one
was sent out with the Approved Seed                  and are not showing signs of red rot or      returns a positive result prior to you
Cane Order form and post or fax the                  other associated problems that might         planting that block.
form back ASAP. Otherwise contact                    impact on a good reliable germination.
Michael Turner on 0427 130 467 or                                                                 Once the Approved Seed Distribution
Caitlyn Killick on 0428 508 818 to                   All sources will also be tested for RSD      commences in March, BSSL staff may
arrange an inspection time. Growers                  and samples will be sent to the              not have time to inspect these sources.

Yellow Canopy Syndrome (YCS)
O    bservations of blocks around the
     district over the past couple of
weeks are showing signs of yellow
                                                     of the midrib and viewed with a hand
                                                     held magnifying lens to determine if
                                                     veins are stained blue-black. If stain is
                                                                                                  arounds checking water etc. for any
                                                                                                  signs of yellowing and contact your
                                                                                                  BSSL officer Michael Turner 0427 130
leaves throughout. These blocks will be              blue-black a sample and photo of that        467 or Caitlyn Killick 0428 508 818 to
inspected and tested using a ―prototype              leaf is taken and sent to SRA for            inspect. BSSL officers are also
YCS investigative tool‖ which can give               confirmation of YCS.                         monitoring the area for YCS as they do
an indication that YCS may be                                                                     their rounds and any suspicious
developing. A cross section of a leaf is             Growers are urged to keep an eye out on      sightings are investigated.
cut and a stain is placed on the surface             their farms as they do normal run

                                                         Sugar Industry Dinner
                                                              showcasing the 2018 Season Awards
                                                                    Friday, 15 March 2019
                                                             at The Waves Sports Club, Bundaberg
                                            Tickets: $45.00, available from Bundaberg CANEGROWERS.

                     The Bundaberg District Canegrower
                                                                                          PRINT                  POSTAGE PAID
                                                                                          POST                    AUSTRALIA
                                                                                          100001222                    PRIORITY
   If undeliverable return to:

   PO Box 953
   BUNDABERG QLD 4670

   Bundaberg CANEGROWERS
   32 Bourbong Street (PO Box 953)
   Bundaberg Qld 4670
   Phone: (07) 4151 2555 Fax: (07) 4153 1986
   Email: bdb_office@bdbcanegrowers.com.au
   Website: www.bdbcanegrowers.com.au
   ABN: 66 110 868 801

    Page 8
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