{"id":141074,"date":"2025-09-08T06:23:15","date_gmt":"2025-09-08T06:23:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/141074\/"},"modified":"2025-09-08T06:23:15","modified_gmt":"2025-09-08T06:23:15","slug":"job-cuts-in-nsw-ag-department-and-major-genetic-research-project-abandoned","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/141074\/","title":{"rendered":"Job cuts in NSW Ag Department and major genetic research project abandoned"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Southern multi-breed cattle feeding at Tullimba.<\/p>\n

THE agriculture department of New South Wales has taken a hit, with hundreds of staff to be made redundant and funding for a major genetics research project discontinued.<\/p>\n

Several well-known and respected Department of Primary Industries staff have taken to social media this week to mention their roles have finished as part of 165 redundancies. The roles are understood to be across beef extension, research and management roles, including senior positions. NSW DPI Group Director of Livestock Systems, Dougal Gordon \u2013 a former CEO of the Australian Lot feeders Association \u2013 announced his redundancy on social media last week.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development said no final decisions on job cuts had been made, but proposed changes could result in a reduction of up to 165 positions, which is approximately four percent of total DPIRD staff.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u201cThe proposed changes will enable the Department to direct resources to where they are needed most, and ensure the whole department is operating in a strategic, financially sustainable and productive manner to better service the primary industries and regional communities of NSW,\u201d a DPIRD spokesperson said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Government is investing a historic $1.05 billion into biosecurity and has also invested an extra $100 million into research and development following a review into the program by the former NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer to modernise and strategically focus the state\u2019s research program.\u201d<\/p>\n

The department has also finished its Southern Multi Breed (SMB) partnership <\/a>with Meat & Livestock Australia \u2013 which was set up to allow direct comparisons on certain traits for producers buying bulls.<\/p>\n

The cuts have drawn concerns from many in the industry about the NSW Labor Government\u2019s attitudes towards agriculture.<\/p>\n

NSW Nationals leader Dugald Saunders told Beef Central the department cuts will go beyond the 165 redundancies that have been made public. He said a lot of staff are on rolling three-year contracts, whose contracts have not been renewed.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

NSW Nationals leader, Dugald Saunders<\/p>\n

One of the main concerns the opposition has been raising is the slow rollout of recovery grants for floods that hit coastal areas earlier this year.<\/p>\n

Mr Saunders said restructures of the department have limited access to staff who are experienced in processing disaster recovery money.<\/p>\n

Financial situation probed<\/p>\n

The situation was discussed in a budget estimates hearing earlier this week, with department secretary Steve Orr quizzed about the financial situation at the department.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had structural deficits built into budgets, which were quite challenging. The implication of that was that others had to cover the overruns, if you like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat could be done a number of years ago, when money was a little bit of a different currency. But as things have tightened up, that\u2019s certainly not an option.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Orr said one of the main priorities was making sure the department did not close any of its 200 locations.<\/p>\n

Union says more cuts are likely<\/p>\n

Public Service Association Assistant General Secretary, Troy Wright said the job cuts at the DPI were looking to be more in the quantum of 260, not 165 as originally announced, but consultation was still ongoing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a statewide restructure with jobs being lost in almost every regional centre. There is no comprehensive list, but we know at least 15 biosecurity roles are to be cut across the state from Yanco in the south of the state, to Trenayr and Port Macquarie in the north, and Orange in the Central West,\u201d Mr Wright said.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrontline biosecurity staff will also be cut in Narrabri, Menangle and Ourimbah leaving local communities and industries open to invasion from feral pest and disease threats from overseas.<\/p>\n

\u201cDPI is saying it\u2019ll be business as usual, but we can\u2019t see how you can sack this many staff without it having an impact on services and that will flow through to the cattle and sheep graziers and cropping farmers who are the backbone of our regional economies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Southern Multi Breed project cut<\/p>\n

The NSW department has also ended its Southern Multi Breed research partnership with Meat & Livestock Australia. The project was run across six research stations<\/a> owned by the Department and was comparing traits head-to-head across the Angus, Hereford, Shorthorn, Wagyu and Charolais breeds, and provided links to Brahmans.<\/p>\n

With the five-year funding period lapsing this year, the department and MLA had decided to \u2018take the SMB project in a different direction.\u2019<\/p>\n

One industry consultant told Beef Central the SMB project was work producers had been calling for and desperately needed for years.<\/p>\n

He said the Multi Breed projects in the north and south allowed producers to compare traits in different breeds, which has not been possible before with Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) only allowing comparison within the one breed.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeeing how genetics run in the same paddock, in the same cohort but across different environments gives a direct measure of how they perform and gets us closer to finding a way to compare the genetic performance of animals across breeds,\u201d the industry consultant said.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development said the SMB project will conclude, as planned, on April 30, 2026.<\/p>\n

\u201cMoving forward, NSW DPIRD and MLA have agreed to strengthen their R&D partnership focusing on a low emissions future for agriculture through the Low Methane Beef (LMB) Project, reflecting both the NSW Government and MLA\u2019s commitment to net zero emissions,\u201d the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n

Long term sustainability traits, including methane production, feed efficiency and other climate impacting traits were part of the SMB project, according to the industry consultant.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe SMB project looked at a wide range of traits and encompassed many areas of research, why would the Government move towards a project that only focuses on one aspect,\u201d the consultant said.<\/p>\n

MLA looking for new partner to continue SMB work<\/p>\n

While the NSW Government has not allocated funding for the next phase of Southern Multi Breed, this does not signify the termination of the research nor the loss of the associated data, according to MLA Managing Director, Michael Crowley.<\/p>\n

He said\u00a0MLA was looking for a new partner to continue the work of the SMB project.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

MLA managing director Michael Crowley<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was great to have the support of the NSW Government to get the SMB project off the ground and we thank them for their contribution to this vital research,\u201d Mr Crowley said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMLA is working with research partners, industry and breed societies to deliver a multi breed evaluation by 2030. This is a priority in MLA\u2019s new strategic plan. The data from the SMB project will be available for the routine genetic evaluation and provides a strong foundation for future multibreed projects.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaintaining reference populations for multibreed needs a range of sustainable options and the National Livestock Genetics Consortium (NLGC) are seeking solutions to recommend to MLA.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt this stage, the availability of NSW DPIRD properties for the continuation of the SMB project remains uncertain. We are actively exploring all viable options and will assess alternative scenarios as further information becomes available.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Crowley said the changes to the SMB project should not impact the Northern Multi-Breed project.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Northern Multi Breed project, known as Repronomics, has been running for ten years with funding from the Queensland Government and MLA and has strong industry support as part of MLA\u2019s investments in research to underpin multibreed genetic evaluations,\u201d Mr Crowley said.<\/p>\n

Agriculture Victoria also looking at job cuts<\/p>\n

Last month, Victorian media were reporting that its state ag department was heading in a similar direction with reports suggesting dozens of job losses were on the cards.<\/p>\n

Vic Farmers Federation president Brett Hosking said he was concerned about the cuts.<\/p>\n

\u201cVictorian agriculture is a world class, $20 billion dollar industry that indirectly employs more than 150,000 people. These proposed cuts have the potential to put all of that at risk if our biosecurity safety net is not maintained as it should be,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny reduction in staff and services would be a backward step for Victorian agriculture, particularly in areas safeguarding the sector against pests and diseases.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou only need to remember the huge response that was required to contain and eradicate the recent avian influenza outbreak. It\u2019s all hands-on deck and you only get one chance to get the response right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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