RIRDC hits back at criticism of format changes

Mr Fitzgibbon issued a media statement last week saying for the first time in 22 years the RIRDC would charge rural women to attend the awards dinner.

He said in addition to the cost of their travel to Canberra, attendees would now pay between $180 and $250 to attend.

The NSW Labor MP said Federal Agriculture and Water Resources Minister Barnaby Joyce recently “forced” the RIRDC to move from Canberra to Wagga Wagga.

He said that was “an expensive move that caused the loss of 84 per cent of the research body's experienced staff - now, it appears rural women will pay the price”.

“Barnaby Joyce can find tens of millions of dollars to pork barrel his own electorate by forcing the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority to move to Armidale, but can't find the means of ensuring the ongoing success of the rural women's award program.

“If Barnaby Joyce won't act in support of rural women, Malcolm Turnbull must.”

But Ms Hull – a former Nationals MP for the seat of Riverina – said the change in the award’s format had “absolutely zero to do with Barnaby Joyce”.

She said there was no shortage or withdrawal of funding and no money was being sought to be recouped from the awards event, as a result of the recent relocation to Wagga Wagga.

“The changes to the structure of the rural women’s awards event has absolutely no link or relevance to funding or any other area to do with the minister,” she said.

“It is our resolution as a board and as a group.

“I’m not shirking from this and I take responsibility as the chair.

“I believe that the R&D funding and levy payer funding that comes to the RIRDC should be handled with ensuring that you are applying proper financial standards to it.

“The question I ask myself and the shadow minister Joel – and I think he would agree with me 100pc if you asked him the question direct - should R&D funding and levy-payer funding be used to wine and dine free of charge a whole host of people, many of whom may have no interest in the awards, but they come because it’s a night free of charge?

“I don’t think that’s a sensible nor responsible way to utilise taxpayer and levy-payer funds.”

In reply, Mr Fitzgibbon said in a statement, "The event has always worked on a cost recovery basis, funded by government and sponsorship”.

“So the question is; what has changed?” he said.

“Barnaby Joyce must intervene to guarantee the program's ongoing success.”

Ms Hull said Mr Fitzgibbon wasn’t being factually correct with his criticism as the figures in his media statement were wrong.

She said the rural women’s alumni would pay $160 each per ticket which would entitle them to a lunch and three course dinner plus drinks at the award’s event, held in the Grand Hall at Parliament House in Canberra.

“He’s saying attendees will be forced to pay $180 to $250 to attend - but attendees won’t be paying that amount,” she said.

“What we are charging for the alumni, which is currently about 200 people, is for a lunch, a lovely day and a dinner and it’s all for $160.”

Ms Hull said the alumni weren’t upset about the changes which were “road tested”.

“When we approached them, there was absolutely no push back on this,” she said.

“NSW has had this as a ticketed evening for many years now.

“I’m very comfortable with this and think our supporters would be more congratulatory to say, it’s good that an organisation like the RIRDC - which has taxpayer and levy-payer funds - is ensuring that they are as responsible as they can be, for the way in which those funds are being used, in order to highlight and grow a gala event which at the moment the risk of only be exposed to an inner sanctum.

“But we think we can grow this to be an enormous event.

“I’m absolutely committed to this, because the rural women’s awards are so prestigious and our rural women are so exciting, and we should be looking to recoup at least some of the costs of the award night.”

Ms Hull said compared to other gala dinners, the RIRDC women’s awards event was “very reasonably priced”.

She said this year’s finalists would receive the same benefits that all of the other finalists have had over the years in their individual representation, with free tickets.

Ms Hull sad businesses that sponsored the RIRDC were previously given a table to the gala dinner - but they would now buy them at a cost of $1800 for a table of nine.

She said each of the state and territory finalists would still be given two free tickets and any friends or family wanting to attend the dinner would pay $160 each for a ticket.

Anyone wanting to attend externally, from “off the street” could buy a single ticket for $230, she said, but “that sill doesn’t recoup the costs of running the night”.

“I’m a former Nationals MP and Joel and I have a great relationship – and we’re not in argy bargy here,” she said.

“But he has to be asked the question and answer the question - does he not honestly think, that as a board, we should not operate and be very cognisant of how we spend taxpayer grant money that’s there for R&D and how we spend levy-payer money that’s there for R&D to benefit their industries.

“This is nothing to do with relocation funding or with the minister – it’s clearly my decision to put this to the board and they have agreed that we need to deal with taxpayer and levy payer funds in the most responsible way possible.”

Ms Hull said the RIRDC had 12 staff and three had relocated from Canberra to Wagga Wagga.

“The move has been a stunning success – we’re saving $1.2 million every year in taxpayer and levy-payer funds which will go back into R&D for agricultural industries that the RIRDC is responsible for,” she said.

“I can’t speak highly enough of the staff we’ve employed and the way the RIRDC has settled into business in Wagga Wagga.

“The three staff members who moved to Wagga from Canberra are extremely happy.

“The feedback from levy payers like the rice industry has been extraordinary.

“They were worried about the move initially and the potential loss of expertise and corporate knowledge but now they could not be happier with our staff being on the ground, approachable and contactable.

“I’m just so stoked and proud to be the chair of the most committed and enthusiastic team of industry workers who bring expertise to this organisation.”

Fairfax Agricultural Media is a sponsor of the RIRDC Rural women’s Awards