Summary

This project will play a key role in delivering Australian rice industry stakeholder consultation. Through this project, the Ricegrowers’ Association of Australia (RGA) will act as a two-way conduit for feedback between Australian rice levy payers to the Rice Program Management Committee and other programs to ensure the research, development and extension (RD&E) investments align with industry needs.

The project has incorporated the guiding principles from the Department of Agriculture and Water’s Best Practice Guide to Stakeholder Consultation (BPGSG) and the RGA’s extensive experience in stakeholder consultation.

The project will involve collaborating with Rice Extension and AgriFutures and leveraging off events and communications to provide an opportunity for levy payer feedback. The project will use multiple communication mediums and technologies, such as face to face, digital tools, post, press releases and industry newsletters, to enable on-going feedback on all aspects of rice research and extension delivery.

To ensure that all Australian rice levy payers are targeted, communicated with, and represented, the following additional activities will take place:
• Establishing a data base of preferred communication addresses.
• Establishing connection with levy payers; this include face to face meetings to explain the project and build trusting relationships.
• Collaborating with RD&E delivery partners to investigate and invest in a communications and data collection tool.
• Monitoring the delivery of all rice industry RD&E reports
• Producing the Voice of the Levy Payer Annual Report.
• Including specific communications and feedback information in collaborating partner’s communications.
• Face to face communication at industry events
• Utilising existing RGA forums, meetings and events to further enhance feedback and levy payer engagement

The RGA will regularly report back to AgriFutures and the Rice Program Management Committee on key RD&E priorities for the rice industry.

Program

Rice

Research Organisation

Ricegrowers’ Association of Australia