Report

Australia's dairy industry: rebuilding trust and a fair market for farmers

17 August 2017

© Commonwealth of Australia 2017
ISBN 978-1-76010-627-0

View the report as a single document - (PDF 2362KB)

View the report as separate downloadable parts:

Senate Economics References Committee (PDF 22KB)
Abbreviations and acronyms (PDF 7KB)
Recommendations (PDF 9KB)
Chapter 1 - Introduction (PDF 54KB)

Conduct of the inquiry
Background to the inquiry
Structure of report
Chapter 2 - Challenges facing the dairy industry (PDF 229KB)

Overview of Australia's dairy industry
Regional differences in production matter
Relationships with processors are also important
Comparison with the New Zealand dairy industry
Chapter 3 - Raw milk pricing and supply contracts (PDF 173KB)

How milk prices are set
Issues with current contracting practices
Chapter 4 - The effect of major retailers on the raw milk price (PDF 85KB)

Lower dairy prices give consumers choice
Wider effects of lower dairy prices
Committee view
Chapter 5 - Retrospective step‑downs in 2015–16 milk pricing (PDF 244KB)

Murray Goulburn's strategic change and capital restructure
Fonterra's milk pricing structure in the Southern Region
Events leading to the milk price step-down in 2015–16
Views on the retrospective price step-downs
Support for affected farmers
Committee view
Chapter 6 - Government needs to play the right role (PDF 111KB)

Direct government intervention—milk levies and floor prices
Encouraging a level playing field
Encouraging expansion in dairy cooperatives
Monitoring and enforcement by regulatory agencies
Dairy Commodity Price Index
Role of Dairy Australia
Dissenting Report by Coalition Senators (PDF 28KB)

Government Dairy Support Package
Dairy Industry Awareness Campaign
Small Business Access to Justice
Dairy Commodity Price Index
Independent Review of the Dairy Services Levy and Dairy Australia
Additional Comments by Senator Nick Xenophon (PDF 11KB)
Attachment 1 - Additional Comments by Senator Nick Xenophon and other Senators to the 2011 Economics References Committee Report on The impacts of supermarket price decisions on the dairy industry Additional Comments by Independent Senator Nick Xenophon, Nationals Senator John Williams, Liberal Senator the Hon. Bill Heffernan, Democratic Labor Party Senator John Madigan, and Australian Greens Senator Christine Milne (PDF 84KB)

The Role of the ACCC
Supply Chain Issues
Appendix 1 - Submissions, additional information, answers to questions on notice and tabled documents (PDF 15KB)

Submissions
Additional information
Answers to questions on notice
Appendix 2 - Public hearings (PDF 19KB)
Appendix 3 - Australian Dairy Industry Council Code of Practice (PDF 1399KB)

Committee Secretariat contact:

Senate Standing Committees on Economics
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Phone: +61 2 6277 3540
economics.sen@aph.gov.au

Past Public Hearings

03 Feb 2017: Burnie
02 Feb 2017: Shepparton
01 Feb 2017: Perth

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