A NSW Parliamentary committee has concluded its inquiry into the long-term sustainability of the dairy industry with recommendations that include investigating “a dairy floor price and Milk to Feed Price Ratio, as well as the extension of the levy on $1 per litre milk, to improve the dairy milk pricing environment”.

Other recommendations included urging the federal government to require retailers involved in the dairy supply chain to be regulated under the Dairy Code as well as developing an effective collective bargaining platform for dairy farmers and include a code of conduct for collective bargaining within the Dairy Code. There were also recommendations related to helping farmers transitioning out of the industry and increasing the skills of new entrants.

Dairy Connect CEO Shaughn Morgan criticised the NSW Government for not supporting a motion in the report to set up a ‘fully independent, funded Fresh Milk and Dairy Advocate’ to bolster dairying in the State. Morgan noted that Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee, the Hon Mark Banasiak MLC believes the role of the NSW Fresh Milk and Dairy Advocate needs to go, and a NSW Commissioner for Dairy should be installed to ensure independence and the ability to influence legislative change. Dairy Connect the creation of an independent statutory Commissioner for Dairy, with an appropriate budget and office to oversee the NSW dairy value-chain.