Media Masters vic

18/08/2026

MEDIA RELEASE
South-west residents considering downsizing are being advised to investigate the potential ramifications before making the big move.
Warrnambool-based certified financial planner Emma Arthur will speak about the implications of downsizing at a free open forum hosted by Australian Independent Retirees (AIR) Warrnambool branch at the RSL at 10am on Friday August 28.
While many empty-nesters considering retirement look to downsize, Ms Arthur, who specialises in Centrelink and aged care for Boyd McDowell, says they don’t always think about all the potential complications.
“We get queried on it a bit, especially with some of the ramifications people might not think about when they’re downsizing,” she said,
Ms Arthur urged anyone considering downsizing to consider issues such as the possibility of losing some of their pension payments, the costs of selling and buying properties, such as stamp duties and other fees, and the potential impact on aged care fees and charges and support at home contributions.
“Our role is not to say you shouldn’t downsize, but from a financial point of view we want to make sure people are aware of what they can and can’t do,” she said.
“If someone has a property worth $1 million and they sell it and buy something for $500,000, from the Centrelink point of view, they have an extra $500,000 in assets and that has flow-on effects with pensioner entitlements.
“Our objective is to make sure people are aware of the ramifications of that before jumping in and downsizing.”
Ms Arthur said some people regret downsizing, as much for emotional reasons as financial issues, but there are many instances where it works well. “If the house is their biggest asset and they decide to downsize, they can free up capital to invest to fund their retirement and potentially retire earlier. We definitely do see positive things as well.
“Farmers are a classic example of where selling the property is part of the retirement.”
The presentation at the AIR branch meeting will also cover how retirement villages work, including entry fees, monthly contributions and exit fees.

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18/08/2026

Breeding persistence pays off for dairy farmers

Persistence has paid off for two Victorian breeders whose herds have taken significant leaps forward in DataGene’s August release of Australian Breeding Values (ABVs).
Stuart Tracy of Waratah Bay, Victoria has the new number one Health Weighted Index (HWI) Holstein herd with an average HWI 342.
The Parish Family of Bambra in south-west Victoria entered the top three Jersey herds for the first time, with the number three Balanced Performance Index (BPI) herd at 210 and the number two HWI herd at 152 HWI.
Another Victorian breeder, Basil and Liam Ryan from Grassmere, scored their first top BPI and HWI heifer with Numeralla Bigsur 7662 with a BPI of 882 and a HWI of 938, making her the top HWI cow in the Holstein breed.
DataGene Stakeholder Relations Specialist Peter Thurn said the improvements showed the importance of perseverance. “The Tracy and Parish herds show that it takes a long time to move a herd’s average genetic merit but it can be done if you stick to a process.”
Mr Thurn said that by continuing to select bulls from the Good Bull Guide aligned to their breeding goal, the Tracy family had been able to achieve the number one HWI herd in the country for the first time, moving up from second position in the April run.
“They have a large number of cows genomically tested, use DataGene’s Herd Data App and are part of the GINFO system,” he said. “This long-term planning has paid off, and there is clearly more focus on health and fertility traits in their selections.”
The Parish family has taken big steps up the ranks. In the April run the herd ranked 9th for BPI and 6th for HWI, and it also moved from 12th to 7th for Sustainability Index (SI).
“They have achieved quite a dramatic lift,” Mr Thurn said. “They have a large herd with a large number of cows genotyped and a GINFO herd. This shows that if you define your goal, stick to it and make sure your bull selection is aligned with your goals, you will be successful.”
The Emu Banks Holstein herd of Bryan and Jo Dickson at Terang, Victoria retained top spot with an average BPI of 451. It also ranks second for both HWI and SI.
White Star owned by Con and Michelle Glennen of Noorat, Victoria, returned to the top of the Jersey rankings of all key indexes, BPI, HWI and SI.

13/08/2026

Hay growers from New South Wales have dominated the 2026 Feed Central National Hay Quality Awards, scoring five of the eight national titles.

Along with two winners from Victoria and one from Queensland, the national winners were announced during Feed Central’s Top of the Stack webinar on Wednesday August 12.

The award winners are:
• National Cereal Hay Visual Award – Adam Gardiner, Gardiner Bros Farms, Calwell NSW
• National Cereal Hay Feed Test Award – Anthony Wilken, R.A & H.M Wilken, Tarranyurk, Victoria
• National Lucerne Hay Visual Award – Mark and Susie Green, M & R Green, Forbes NSW
• National Lucerne Hay Feed Test Award - Alexander family, Haylin, Riverleigh Qld
• National Vetch Hay Visual Award - Stuart Shifferle, Schifferle Freight Services, Berrigan, NSW
• National Vetch Hay Feed Test Award - Wayne Huf, Claralda Pty Ltd, Hopetoun, Victoria
• Heaviest Cereal Bale Award - Tom Bell & Nathan Ovington, Bell Group, Narramine, NSW – 785kg
• Heaviest Straw Bale Award - Brad Johnston, Johnston Agriculture Pty Ltd, Quandialla, NSW
590kg.

State award winners are:
• QLD Cereal Hay Visual Award - Harry Siddens, Lower Plains Pastoral Pty Ltd, Contractor: Rob Southern, RnS Baling, St George, QLD
• QLD Cereal Hay Feed Test Award - The Webb Family, Dunmore Pastoral, Contractor: Dave & Tony Robb, Tarawera, QLD
• QLD Lucerne Visual Award - The Alexander Family, Haylin, Riverleigh , QLD
• QLD Lucerne Hay Feed Test Award - The Alexander Family, Haylin, Riverleigh, QLD
• NSW Cereal Hay Visual Award - Adam Gardiner, Gardiner Bros Farms Pty Ltd, Calwell, NSW
• NSW Cereal Hay Feed Test Award - Justin Riddell, Kilter Agriculture Fund, Tocumwal, NSW
• NSW Lucerne Visual Award - Mark and Susie Green, M & R Green, Forbes, NSW
• NSW Lucerne Hay Feed Test Award - Mark Carter, Strathmore Properties Pty Ltd, Benolong, NSW
• NSW Vetch Visual Award - Stuart Shifferle, Schifferle Freight Services, Berrigan, NSW
• NSW Vetch Hay Feed Test Award - Kurt & Bernadette Bauer, Contractor: Adam Fox, Foxy Hay Contracting, Berrigan, NSW
• VIC Cereal Hay Visual Award - Gus Whyte, Harmer/Whyte Hay, Contractor: Southern Pastoral, Meringur, VIC
• VIC Cereal Hay Feed Test Award - Anthony Wilken, RA & HM Wilken, Tarranyurk, VIC
• VIC Lucerne Hay Visual Award - Bryan Monigatti, Pine Gap Farms, Strathallan, VIC
• VIC Lucerne Hay Feed Test Award - Sam & Jake Thompson, Wyuna East, VIC
• VIC Vetch Hay Visual Award - Carl Chamberlain, Meran Grove Farms, Meering West, VIC
• VIC Vetch Hay Feed Test Award - Wayne Huf, Claralda Pty Ltd, Hopetoun, VIC
• SA Cereal Hay Visual Award - Robyn Faulkner, Renkluaf Trading Pty Ltd, Contractor: Peter & Justin Michael, Michael Contracting, Stanley, SA
• SA Cereal Hay Feed Test Award - Adam Morgan, Morgan Partners, Geranium, SA
• SA Lucerne Hay Visual Award - James Mowbray, Millicent, SA,
• SA Lucerne Hay Feed Test Award - Joe Cook, Scottswell Partners, Carew, SA.
Feed Central managing director Tim Ford said the awards were an opportunity to acknowledge the expertise of hay growers who create excellence in the industry.
“Making hay is not easy and making good hay is exceptionally difficult and these awards acknowledge the excellent management and hard work that goes into it,” Mr Ford said.
“It is a pleasure to recognise the best of the best and some of the results this year have been exceptional, which is what we need as an industry. We want repeat buyers and the quality feed being recognised in these awards is testimony to what the industry is capable of.”
The awards are judged on large square bales.
During the webinar, the large online audience heard from northern Victorian farmer Jake Thompson, Robyn Faulkner from Renklauf Trading at Mintaro, South Australia and Mark Burkinshaw from Lockhart, New South Wales, who took viewers into their paddocks for a live virtual farm walk

The program also included updates on global hay dynamics and key trends for the domestic market.

13/08/2026

Research identifies strategies to manage nitrogen
Ground-breaking international research has identified ways farmers can create mitigation strategies to efficiently manage nitrogen to meet production while reducing environmental losses.
The research, part of an international collaboration, was headed by Dr Garima Lakhanpal and her findings will be presented at the 10th international Nitrogen Conference in Kyoto, Japan on November 2-6.
Dr Lakhanpal is being supported by the Grassland Society of Southern Australia to present at the conference. She will also attend an International Nitrogen workshop before the conference as an Executive Committee Member of the International Nitrogen Network in Kyoto.
Dr Lakhanpal completed her PhD last year through the University of Waterloo, Canada as part of a collaborative project fully funded by Teagasc, Ireland's national body for agriculture and food development.
All of her field work and data collection was based in Ireland, with her research focused on nitrogen dynamics in pasture-based dairy systems.
“Ireland has a lot of intensive dairy farming and the goal was to understand nutrient management and find a balance so farmers can meet their production requirements and reduce environmental losses specific to nitrogen,” Dr Lakhanpal said.
Her research focused on understanding the dynamics of the nutrient-specific nitrogen in intensive dairy farms and assessing the effectiveness of different mitigation strategies, such as restrictive grazing techniques, reducing inorganic or chemical fertiliser applications and using protected urea. Restricted-duration grazing reduced nitrogen leaching and ammonia losses by 40% and 24%, respectively, when combined with lower inorganic and organic nitrogen inputs, highlighting its potential as an effective nitrogen mitigation strategy.
A key aspect of the work was to investigate legacy nitrogen which was achieved through deep soil coring and integrating results with multi-decade farm management data.
“We were able to quantify nitrogen stores sitting under the soil from years of application of fertilisers,” Dr Lakhanpal said. “We traditionally focus on what is being applied and the impact on groundwater and subsequently rivers and water bodies but we’re missing what is actually being stored in the soil.
“I was able to quantify in my PhD what is being stored in the soil and how we can potentially use that as a free, available resource for the next application while reducing what we apply on the surface. Legacy nitrogen accumulations of 3,000–6,000 kg N ha⁻¹ were recorded within the upper 50 cm of soil in a well-drained dairy system. Despite reduced fertiliser inputs, pasture production remained high and was sustained in low-input paddocks, highlighting the potential contribution of existing soil nitrogen reserves.”
“This could provide both economic and environmental benefits for farmers, while helping policymakers account for legacy nitrogen when setting realistic timelines and targets for achieving water-quality goals.”
Dr Lakhanpal said the research was targeted to dairy but was easily transferable to any other agricultural field.
“I’m excited about how I can use this knowledge and transfer it to Australian grazing systems and look at how pastures, including multispecies pastures, can improve efficient nutrient management approaches.”
Dr Lakhanpal finished her PhD in December and moved back to Melbourne in April.
She developed a connection with the Grassland Society of Southern Australia while drafting a research proposal with its vice-president Dr Paul Cheng at the University of Melbourne.
“It’s nice to have avenues for support and I am looking forward to representing the Society at the conference,” she said.
People interested in joining the GSSA can visit https://www.grasslands.org.au. Students can become members for free. GSSA has successfully promoted the business of grass, science and farming since 1959 and has branches in Victoria, South Australia and southern NSW.

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05/08/2026

South West TAFE is looking to find the region’s next WorldSkills champion to potentially follow in the footsteps of the first local to make the world finals.
The WorldSkills Australian Regional Competition for south-west Victoria will be hosted by South West TAFE between August 31 and September 4, with a record number of entrants expected after a significant expansion of the skills categories.
A total of 17 categories will be offered this year, up from six in the previous regional competition two years ago.
The regional winners will have the chance to emulate the success of South West TAFE carpentry apprentice Lachy King who will compete at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 in September. Lachy is the first South West TAFE apprentice to compete at the world championships.
South West TAFE Teaching Education Manager - Health, Community & Personal Services , Jade Muller, said WorldSkills supports the development of students.
“It supports and develops their skills, builds their confidence and gives students an opportunity to showcase the skills they have developed through their course,” Ms Muller said.
“It helps to support them to enter the workforce and build successful careers.”
Ms Muller said there was growing interest in the competition. “At our last regional competition, we ran six categories and this year we’re offering 17,” she said. “This reflects our commitment to create opportunities for students. From my experience in WorldSkills, it’s amazing how much their confidence grows from participating on such a big stage.”
The skills categories available this year are automotive mechanics, beauty therapy, carpentry, cookery, fitting, hairdressing, plumbing & heating, VETiS carpentry, VETiS electrotechnology, VETiS hairdressing, VETiS healthcare assistant, VETiS information technology, VETiS makeup services, welding, and web design and development.
Ms Muller said the event strengthens South West TAFE’s connection with industry. “It helps to reflect industry expectations and showcase the talents of students entering the workforce. We value the support of industry partners, educators and employers who help to make these opportunities possible.”
Students can contact their teachers to register for the competition.
The regional winners and placegetters will be honoured at an awards night on Tuesday October 6 at Deakin University.

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04/08/2026

Research shows the value of good dairy shelter management

Australian-first research has shown how farmers can effectively manage dairy shelters and compost barns in the local environment, leading to a wide range of benefits.

PhD candidate Andrew Lean told a field day hosted at Panmure by Dairy Shelters Australia on August 3 that more farmers are turning to compost barns and open-sided, clear-roofed, deep-litter shelters.

As part his research into optimising intensive dairy production in Australia, Mr Lean spent 15 weeks visiting compost barns measuring bedding temperatures, moisture levels and carbon to nitrogen ratios.

He said the shelters not only benefit cows, they help to protect paddocks and laneways.

“They are important additions to farm infrastructure. If you have a shelter, you’re going to get a lot of benefits in terms of cow management, laneway management because the cows are only entering pasture once a day, and you don’t pug paddocks and destroy grass.

“They’re not just for giving cows somewhere warm and clean to lie, you also get benefits that may not be so obvious.”

Mr Lean, from Scibus and Charles Sturt University, said his research was promoted by the increase in shelters and compost barns across Australia. “We need to understand them in an Australian context,” he said. “There is a lot of American and European research but we have very different systems.”

Mr Lean said both fully-stocked compost barns and partially stocked open-sided, clear-roofed, deep-litter shelters could have huge benefits to farms.

“With the clear-roof system, you get a benefit in terms of drying on the surface,” he said. “If you can increase the temperature in your environment, which these clear-spanned roofs do, you get a definite benefit in terms of drying the bedding and increasing the bedding temperature.

“These systems are well suited to colder, wetter environments in southern Australia though they can also be modified with shade and cooling to be suitable for summer in hotter climates. There is good natural airflow in these sheds.”

Mr Lean said the key to good management was “to remember this is cow bedding, not compost”.

“If you get too obsessed with just managing it as compost, you can fall into traps of looking at temperature instead of just making sure it is dry enough.

“You have to stop moisture entering the pack and keep the moisture below 55 per cent year-round so the bedding doesn’t stick to the cows. This will decrease the risk of mastitis developing, it’s better for cow comfort and will stop them becoming dirty and you will get the best welfare and production benefits.”

At the field day, Mr Lean demonstrated a ball test that farmers could use to measure moisture.

He added that the bedding must be cultivated. “You have to turn it regularly and don’t rush the process because increased cultivating time increases bedding temperature,” he said.

Farmers need to rip the flooring deep enough with a chisel plough to bring the bedding to the surface and allow the airflow to remove moisture, and then use a rotor tiller to break up clumps in the bedding.

Mr Lean said farmers were getting much better at managing shelters. “When I started the PhD, there was still a lot of trial and error. Over the past four or five years, in general there has been a massive jump in management quality and it keeps getting better and better.”

More than 50 people attended the field day at the Panmure farm of Simon and Pip Rea which is home to several Dairy Shelters Australia shelters.

For more information: https://dairysheltersaustralia.com.au/, https://www.facebook.com/dairysheltersaustralia/

03/08/2026

Australia’s `top of the stack’ hay growers to share their success secrets
Australia’s `top of the stack’ hay growers will be sharing the secrets of their success during a special online event on August 12.

Feed Central is hosting the free Top of the Stack 2026 webinar where award-winning haymakers and market specialists share their experience, insights and practical ideas.

National and state winners of the Feed Central National Hay Quality awards will be announced during the live event that starts at 11.30am. The awards cover visual appearance and feed tests for the three major hay types, vetch, lucerne and cereal.

Feed Central’s Steve Page and Nev Janke will interview three of the award winners to discover what worked, what didn’t and what they would do differently next season. The presentation will include virtual paddock walks on each of the farms.

The event will also feature JT Johnson & Sons International Marketing Manager Corey Ryan who will unpack what’s happening in the global export hay market and what it could mean for Australian growers.

David Clothier from Feed Central Trading will share the domestic market outlook and the key trends to watch in the season ahead.

Feed Central managing director Tim Ford said that while the awards had been running for more than a decade, this would be the first time winners would share their stories directly from their farms during the presentation ceremony.

“The webinar will feature real farmers with proven results with practical ideas that could benefit farmers all around Australia,” Mr Ford said.

There will also be practical tools for the 2026 season, including how quality assurance and feed testing programs can add value.

The live event can be accessed at: Top of the Stack. People can now register for the live webinar or to receive a recording.

The Feed Central National Hay Quality awards recognise and encourage growers to aim for high-quality hay. Hay listed with Feed Central in preparation for sale is inspected on-farm by a certified Feed Central inspector and is eligible for entry in the competition.
Feed Central aims to connect buyers and sellers of fodder and buys, sells and tests hay, grain, silage, straw, by-product and fertiliser.
For comment: Cara Stewart: [email protected] | 0455 943 162 or 1300 669 429

03/08/2026

$140,000 bull enters the market as part of new partnership

One of the highest-priced Angus bulls to sell at auction this year will soon hit the market through a partnership between Genetics Australia and McKenzie Ag Services.

Knowla VIP V264 was sold for $140,000 to McKenzie Ag Services at the Knowla Livestock bull sale at Kia Ora, NSW on Friday July 31, with Genetics Australia taking on marketing rights.
Genetics Australia (GA) beef manager Damien Thomson said Knowla VIP V264 was one of the top stud sires to enter the GA breeding program.
“In many ways, he’s the perfect Angus bull in terms of structure and docility,” said Mr Thomson, who bid on behalf of the family company. “Those two traits are the fundamentals of any beef breeding program in Australia so to have the combination of both, along with his overall performance and type, incredible body and hind quarter, is quite unique,” he added.
“There were a number of different studs and semen companies interested in the bull and we are fortunate to partner with McKenzie Ag Services to secure him.”
“He will be an important investment for McKenzie Ag’s breeding program and we will be in charge of semen sales domestically and internationally. There has already been interest from New Zealand and US.”
Lachlan McKenzie and his wife Maryanne launched McKenzie Ag Services in 2017. With beef and lamb properties near Ballarat, Hamilton and Condah in western Victoria, they are well known as a feed company and have been developing a breeding program in recent years.
Their son Hugh travelled to the auction in NSW. “We’re extremely happy,” he said. “We’re super excited to see the impact of his genetics in our own Angus herd and look forward to seeing him prosper domestically and internationally.
“There’s a lot of opportunity to expand our breeder herd and that’s why we’re putting such a focus on good genetics. Hopefully we can improve quality in other herds as well.”
Knowla VIP V264 will be collected at Total Livestock Genetics (TLG) at Camperdown to allow for export opportunities. TLG is home to two Export Accredited Collection Centres and is the only business in Australia accredited by both EU and China for bovine semen exports.

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28/07/2026

As South West TAFE’s first Board Chair to progress from the Observership Program, Kirsten Diprose has had plenty of time to ponder the importance of the organisation.

And she says there’s never been a more important time for TAFE as it helps the region to address a critical need for trades; to build new houses, and train nurses, aged care, agricultural, and other essential workers to bolster major industries.

“TAFE has never been more important and more accessible and we need to maintain that,” she said.

Ms Diprose, a communications specialist, podcaster and farmer based at Caramut, joined the Observership Program in 2020 and was appointed as a Board director in 2021.

“That Observership year was highly beneficial,” Ms Diprose said. “It is designed to give potential board directors a chance to experience the inner-workings of a governance body. I was fortunate to be placed with South West TAFE and really loved what it does.

“It gave me a good grounding in strategic direction as well as governance, and I hope that helps to guide South West TAFE to a positive future.”

As a former journalist and journalism educator, Ms Diprose has had a life-long passion for education. “I can see the value it creates for people, giving them opportunities to change their lives entirely,” she said.

“South West TAFE is a great contributor to the local community as an education provider but also through its alignment with industry, making sure we’ve got the right people doing the right jobs for a vibrant economy and community, and as a major employer in the region.

“TAFE has a huge role in the fabric of life right across the south-west. It is trusted by the community, students want to go to TAFE and industries want to employ people who have been trained at TAFE.

“Both Federal and State Governments have huge priority areas in trades, aged care, early childhood education and nursing and TAFE plays a vital role in addressing that.”

While this is her first appointment as a Board chair, Ms Diprose been a director of Food and Fibre Great South Coast, a committee member of the Rural Press Club of Victoria and president of her local hall.

Although upbeat about the future of South West TAFE, Ms Diprose says the organisation will need to deal with challenges and opportunities that come with increasing demand.

“There are great opportunities for us to deliver solutions for our region, but because demand is so high, we have to be able to meet that. We also have the ongoing challenge of covering a large geographic area with a comparatively small population compared to other TAFE regions. Being able to do as many of the courses we would love to do is always going to be a challenge, but we look at industry needs and interest in a course and try to find ways to make it happen.”

Ms Diprose said the Board was mindful of the cost-of-living crisis and recognised the importance of Free TAFE to help students. “We want to make sure education is as accessible as possible in our region and look at how to best support students,” she said.

“I feel very privileged to be part of an organisation that has meant so much to so many people and played such an integral role in their lives, and hope to continue to be part of that story.”

Ms Diprose replaced Brian Crook as the Board Chair.

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27/07/2026

South West TAFE is again vying for a major Victorian training award, continuing a successful streak dating back almost a decade.

South West TAFE has been named as one of three finalists alongside Chisholm Institute and NECA Education & Careers for the title of Victoria’s Large Training Provider in the 2026 Victorian Training Awards.

This follows South West TAFE winning the Australian Large Training Provider of the Year title in 2020 and being a Victorian finalist in the same category in 2024.

CEO Mark Fidge said being shortlisted as a finalist was great recognition for the team and the community.

“It’s nice that the work being done by the team has been recognised again,” Mr Fidge said.

“We’ve had a good run over recent years and that shows the commitment of the team and their understanding of the important role we have in the community and the achievements of our students,” he said.

Mr Fidge said South West TAFE remained committed to being a quality organisation and having positive student and employer outcomes. “We know that what we do changes the lives of students in our region and we want to make sure our graduates are job ready and add value to any employer.”

Over the past five years, annual independent surveys have ranked South West TAFE as number one or two in the state for student and employer outcomes and satisfaction.

Mr Fidge said the shortlisting also recognised South West TAFE’s commitment to innovation.

“We’re not afraid to get involved in innovative education projects and we do them really well. We have about 12 local education initiatives at the moment that are really exciting for our region, ranging from clean energy to working with First Nations communities.

“We also have a $25 million capital works program developing a new Tech School and an automotive student facility at Sherwood Park.”

The shortlisting is based on South West TAFE’s 2025 performance where 430 staff supported more than 7,000 students, resulting in about 4,600 job outcomes that deliver on the region's skills needs. South West TAFE is the number one VET provider in the region, with 67 per cent market share.

The winners of the Victorian Training Awards will be announced at a gala event in Melbourne on Friday September 18.
The Australian Training Awards are the peak national awards that showcase best practice in vocational education and training (VET). The Awards recognise and celebrate excellence and are an important mechanism for promoting the benefits of VET and respect for skill-cased careers and skills excellence.

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