Trade, water and rural property up for debate in VirtuAg live webinars

National affairs reporter Natalie Kotsios hosts Trade Minister Dan Tehan this week, in the first of VirtuAg’s must-see live webinars.

The Darling Barka river. Picture: Jenny Evans/Getty Images

VIRTUAG’S live webinars will debate issues that affect all Australian farmers, from water and trade policy to the boom in rural property prices. Register your attendance.

Picture: Zoe Phillips

THE NEW TRADE WORLD

THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 11.30AM TO 12.15PM

THERE’S no doubt the past year has been a maelstrom for Australia’s agricultural trade: tensions with China, a new US president, markets lost as others unexpectedly came to the fore, all against the backdrop of a global pandemic. Australia’s Trade Minister Dan Tehan joins The Weekly Times for a discussion about the challenges and opportunities ahead for the sector’s $49 billion export market. Register to attend.

SPEAKER

Trade Minister Dan Tehan.

DAN TEHAN, Federal Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment

A member of federal parliament since 2010, Mr Tehan was sworn in as Trade Minister in December. He has also been minister for education, social services and veterans’ affairs. He is the member for Wannon in Victoria, and lives with his family in Hamilton.

HOST

NATALIE KOTSIOS, national affairs reporter, The Weekly Times

National affairs reporter Natalie Kotsios.

Natalie is a member of the Canberra Press Gallery at Parliament House. She covers federal politics, agriculture and regional issues for The Weekly Times. She is a three-time Rural Press Club of Victoria journalism award winner.

The Darling Barka river. Picture: Jenny Evans/Getty Images

WATER NORTH AND SOUTH, EXAMINING BOTH ENDS OF THE MURRAY

Thursday, April 1, 1pm to 1.45pm

WHAT are the myths and facts about the flow of water through the Murray Darling Basin. From flood-plain harvesting in Queensland and northern NSW to the debate over South Australia’s Lower Lakes, join The Weekly Times senior reporter and foremost water commentator Peter Hunt as he and a panel of experts discuss crucial water issues. Register to attend.

SPEAKERS

Professor Peter Gell.

PETER GELL, palaeoecologist, Federation University

Professor Gell is a palaeoecologist who examines change in the condition of wetlands over time, to contribute to a better understanding of the impact of climate and people. He specialises in research about present and past river and lake conditions, particularly in coastal systems and across Australia’s Murray Darling Basin.

Brendan Griffiths on his 550ha farm near Boggabilla in northern NSW.

BRENDAN GRIFFITHS, vice chairman, Border Rivers Food & Fibre, NSW

Brendan runs an irrigated grains, legumes and cotton operation in the Boggabilla district of northern NSW. He is heavily engaged in discussions with government about water policy, particularly regulation of flood-plain harvesting. He is a longstanding member of the Border Rivers Food & Fibre advocacy group, which represents the interests of the Macintyre irrigation community.

HOST

PETER HUNT, water commentator, The Weekly Times

Peter is a rural journalist with broad experience in water, timber, fire, land management, drought policy and climate adaptation. He has covered a raft of federal and state political reforms that directly affect rural Australians. Peter grew up in Buronga, NSW, and has degrees in ag science and journalism.

Picture: Zoe Phillips

HOT PROPERTY, HOW HIGH CAN FARMLAND VALUES GO?

Thursday, April 8, 1pm to 1.45pm

THE rural property market is running hot — red hot. Record prices for farms across Australia have many interested in buying, and selling. An expert panel of property agents and investment experts will look at the trends, why the market is so high and where they think the market is heading. Register to attend.

SPEAKERS

Commonwealth Bank general manager agribusiness Tim Harvey.

TIM HARVEY, general manager agribusiness, Commonwealth Bank

Responsible for the strategy and performance of agribusiness within business banking, Tim has held leadership roles at Commonwealth Bank for the past 15 years, always with a focus on regional and rural customers. Raised in a farming family, Tim runs his own commercial cropping operation and believes innovation and technology are essential to help rural and regional Australia thrive.

Rural property specialist Danny Thomas.

DANNY THOMAS, rural property specialist, LAWD

With more than 15 years experience in rural real estate, Danny has been involved in some of Australia’s largest pastoral and horticultural property transactions. Now running his own pastoral company as well as working for new real estate business LAWD, Danny has a wealth of knowledge about the conditions that influence farmland values.

HOST

ED GANNON, editor, The Weekly Times, editor-in-chief, News Corp Rural

Ed has 30 years’ experience in the media and for the past 13 years has been editor of The Weekly Times, Australia’s largest circulation rural newspaper, and editor-in-chief of News Corp Rural. He is also editor of AgJournal, Australia’s only agribusiness magazine, a columnist for the Herald Sun, a regular on ABC radio and ABC News Breakfast.

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