Being on the ground and engaging directly with industry has revealed a noticeable shift in sentiment across the supply chain, with conversations becoming increasingly future focused and optimistic, recognising strong market signals for both sheep meat and wool as well as another record harvest for grain.
Wool industry deep dive
In early December, I joined a discussion with representatives from the wool industry to hear their perspectives on the sector, including the impacts of the phase out and how ideas to support the industry can be incorporated into the WA Roadmap. These insights are essential to shaping practical, forward-looking outcomes for the wool industry as we move toward 2028.
A key exporter shared his market intelligence from a recent trip to China where buyers are closely following contracting global wool stocks and Australia’s falling wool clip. There is strong demand for a sustainable supply of Australian wool which gave attendees confidence to discuss higher wool production in WA and ways to achieve this.
Recent pricing and demand signals on the sheep meat side was also discussed, reflecting that current conditions favour a positive outlook for sheep production and the dual-purpose animal.
A key theme raised was the importance of ‘knowing and understanding your numbers’ as the foundation for building a profitable enterprise. The discussion highlighted benchmarking and margin analysis as valuable tools to help producers make informed decisions.
Feedback to Government
In November, I spent time in Canberra meeting with the Minister and Assistant Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the Hon Julie Collins MP, and Senator the Hon Anthony Chisholm, and a range of industry representative organisations, and staff from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The trip was highly valuable with the opportunity to provide industry feedback direct to Ministers and positive conversations with industry representative organisations on signs of growing industry confidence notably reflected in the MLA/AWI Sheep Producer Intentions Survey results.
The Future Flock
Sheep Producers Australia, who are leading The Future Flock (national strategy for the sheep meat and wool industries), announced the appointment of the National Advisory Panel for The Future Flock. Chaired by Angus Hobson, this panel brings together an outstanding breadth of expertise across the sheep meat and wool supply chains. Its role is to oversee the development of the strategy, ensuring it is evidence-based, informed by producers and stakeholders, and aligned with market and community expectations for long-term sustainability.
You can read more about the appointment and see the list of panel members at Appointment of The Future Flock National Advisory Panel.
Strategic Steering Group and WA Roadmap
I’ve been working closely with the Strategic Steering Group (Bindi Murray, Erin Gorter and Ashley Herbert) to guide development of the WA Roadmap, ensuring the sheep supply chain remains profitable and productive during and after the transition. This work is critical to providing a clear, practical pathway for the industry. To support this, we commissioned a situational analysis of the WA sheep industry, providing an evidence-based view of the current state. This is expected to be released in the New Year on the WA Roadmap website.
Additionally, a dedicated ‘Have Your Say’ page has been created to give all stakeholders the opportunity to share their feedback, either through an online questionnaire or by submitting a written response. This initiative aims to ensure broad engagement from supply chain participants in shaping the development of the WA Roadmap to 2028.
If you are interested in providing input, visit the WA Roadmap to 2028 page.
Continued engagement and feedback
When I was appointed, I was very clear that to be the most effective, I needed to listen and engage with as many people across the sector as possible. I’ve always had a ‘meet anyone, anywhere’ approach and I continue to maintain that only through engaging regularly and often as the sector shifts, will I be able to find the best outcomes for the whole supply chain.
I look forward to continuing this work in 2026, building on the strong engagement and collaboration we’ve seen so far.
