WoolPoll review launched to determine wool levy process in 2020

One of WA’s biggest woolgrowers says increasing research and development investment will be critical to advancing the industry and ensuring it emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, some farmers are pushing for the wool industry’s levy rate for research and development investment to remain at 1.5 per cent. The Federal Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment today launched its WoolPoll review and encouraged woolgrowers to provide a response to its discussion paper. WoolPoll is a three-yearly vote providing woolgrowers an opportunity to vote on what percentage of wool income they want Australian Wool Innovation to invest into research, development and marketing. It requires AWI to propose levy rate options for farmers to vote on, including an option of no investment for producers who believe research and development investment is not required. The review aims to determine if WoolPoll is an appropriate and contemporary process which “provides robust assurance about what wool levy payers want their levy rate to be”. It comes in the wake of the 2018 Ernst and Young review into AWI’s performance and governance, which recommended an independent review of WoolPoll mechanism. Frankland River sheep producer Richard Coole, who runs 35,000 sheep in the State’s Great Southern, said he would vote for a 2 per cent levy to bolster the wool industry’s development post-coronavirus crisis. “With the COVID-19 pandemic, the wool industry needs more than ever greater investment in marketing, research and development,” he said. “I understand the frustration woolgrowers have had with the past Australian Wool Innovation board of directors, but I would hope the current people can do a better job.” AWI boss Stuart McCullough welcomed the WoolPoll review. “This is an opportunity for woolgrowers to have their say in response to the department’s discussion paper and provide their ideas to improve how WoolPoll is conducted,” he said. The submission period will be held from April 29 to May 29. It will be followed by targeted virtual consultation conducted by the department in May and June, with the reivew’s final report expected to be released before the year’s end. Woolgrowers can find the discussion paper on the department’s website. More in Countryman this Thursday.