A cross-industry group has been formed in Queensland with the aim of addressing the shortage of shearers that is stifling the rebuild of woolgrowing in the state.
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Known as the Queensland Wool Technical Advisory Group, or QWoolTAG, it follows models set by other states to bring supply chain expertise together to solve the problem.
AgForce Sheep and Wool immediate past president Mike Pratt is chairing the group, which includes current president Stephen Tully, Scott Counsell, Don Perkins and Brett Smith as fellow producer members, shearing contractors Andrew Ross, Karl Goodman and Trevor Bacon, Jason Letchford of the Shearing Contractors Association of Australia, local government representatives Andrew Martin and Shaun 'Zoro' Radnedge, livestock agent Bob Tully, Blue Light shearing organiser Laurie Bateman, and the AWI's Craig French.
Mr Tully said Western Meat Exporters' general manager Campbell McPhee had been invited to contribute his knowledge as someone who was often dealing with the visa programs to bring in overseas workers.
"The biggest worry you have as a grazier as the shearing season approaches is whether you'll have enough shearers," he said.
"This group won't be a silver bullet but I'm confident it will identify issues and work through them in a coordinated way.
"Shearer training is already there but it's not been coordinated.
"With this, we'll be following up, offering intermediate training, ringing trainees to see how they're going and if they need help to find work."
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The group will also look at ways of encouraging graziers in an area to shear one after the other, to make it more attractive financially for shearers to work in an area.
"It's not about paying out more money, it's about it costing people less," Mr Tully said, adding that properties following on at the moment was often by accident or down to good contractors.
"Graziers tend to be set in their ways, but I think we can work together."
Another consequence of the shortage is the poaching of shearers, which Mr Tully said wasn't solving the problem in the long term, only moving it to other areas.
"There wouldn't be a shearer in Queensland being paid less than $4 a sheep at the moment," he said.
"At 200 a day, that's $800 a day they're earning, or $4000 a week.
"After a two-year apprenticeship, there aren't many other industries offering that sort of money.
"Shearing offers young people a really good opportunity to get ahead, put down a payment on a home, if they put their mind to it."
Mr Pratt will be attending a national WoolTAG meeting in Sydney next week.
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Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
