Corporate Governance

Corporate Governance

Funding Agreement 2015-2019
On 4 June 2015 AgriFutures Australia signed a Funding Agreement with the Australian Government. This Funding Agreement sets out expectations about performance, transparency and accountability to levy payers, the Government and the public.


Indexed list of files
As part of Standing Orders of the Senate, AgriFutures Australia is required to provide access to an indexed list of the titles of all relevant files, including new parts of existing files, that it has created from 1 January 1998.

Privacy Statement
The AgriFutures Australia privacy policy sets out how we comply with our obligations under the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act).


AgriFutures Australia Program Framework
The AgriFutures Australia Program Framework informs the development of key planning and reporting documents such as the Strategic R&D Plan, Annual Operational Plan and Annual Report.


AgriFutures Australia Evaluation Framework
The AgriFutures Australia Evaluation Framework outlines how investment decisions are made and how performance impacts of program investments are evaluated.

AgriFutures Australia Events Code of Conduct
AgriFutures Australia is committed to ensuring that no person feels unsafe during any event. AgriFutures Australia requires all attendees, speakers, sponsors and volunteers at any AgriFutures Australia event to agree with the following code of conduct.

Enterprise Agreement
The AgriFutures Australia Enterprise Agreement 2013-2016 was approved under the Fair Work Act 2009 and came into operation on 1 July 2013.

Fraud Control
The AgriFutures Australia Fraud Control Policy and Plan sets out the approach for the prevention and management of fraud or allegations of fraud within AgriFutures Australia. AgriFutures Australia risk appetite for fraud is zero tolerance. The Fraud Control Policy and Plan includes the process for notification of any suspected fraud and the relevant contacts.


Public Interest Disclosure
A Public Interest Disclosure may be lodged with the AgriFutures Australia Authorised Officer, who is the General Manager, Business & Finance via email: pid@agrifutures.com.au


Portfolio Budget Statement
The Portfolio Budget Statement (PBS) informs Senators and Members of Parliament of the proposed allocation of resources to Government outcomes by agencies within a portfolio. Agencies receive resources from the annual appropriations bills, special appropriations (including standing appropriations and special accounts) and revenue from other sources.

Senate Order for Entity Contracts 

The Senate Order for Entity Contracts requires AgriFutures Australia to list contracts with an estimated value of $100,000 or more and which were:

  1. Not fully performed as at the end of the financial year; or
  2. Entered into during the 12 months prior to the end of the financial year.

Freedom of Information

The broad objective of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) is to give the Australian community access to information held by the Government of the Commonwealth.  Reforms to the FOI Act which came into effect on 1 May 2011 are aimed at promoting a pro-disclosure culture across government, building a stronger foundation for greater openness and transparency in government operations.  AgriFutures Australia is committed to a proactive approach to publishing information which it holds to the benefit of rural industries, the research community and the broader Australian public.

AgriFutures Australia operates under the direction of a Board of Directors. Our headquarters is in Wagga Wagga and our corporate contact details are:

AgriFutures Australia
Building 007
Tooma Way
Charles Sturt University
Locked Bag 588
Wagga Wagga NSW 2650

02 6923 6900
info@agrifutures.com.au


How to make a request for access to documents under the FOI Act
Requests made under the FOI Act must meet all of the following criteria:

  • Be in writing
  • State that the request is an application for the purposes of the FOI Act
  • Provide such information concerning the document that will allow AgriFutures Australia to identify it
  • Provide detail of how notices provided by AgriFutures Australia in relation to the FOI request can be sent to the applicant.


AgriFutures Australia documents
AgriFutures Australia publishes or holds corporate documents such as the Annual Report, Corporate Plan and Annual Operational Plan. These are free while stocks are available. They are also available for free download from AgriFutures Australia website.

AgriFuture Australia’s extensive research library of is available for viewing, free downloading or purchasing from our Publications and Resources page. Purchases can also be made by phoning 1300 634 313.


Accessing information
Formal requests for information under the FOI Act must be made in writing to the FOI Coordinator.

In many cases, an application under the FOI Act may not be required as information or documents may be readily available.

An up-to-date listing of projects funded by AgriFutures Australia is detailed in our Research-in-Progress publications and also on the AgriFutures Australia website. Funding information on individual projects is available upon request.

Processing of FOI requests
Upon receipt of an FOI request, AgriFutures Australia will provide an acknowledgement of receipt within 14 days.  In accordance with the FOI Act, a decision must be notified to the FOI Applicant within 30 days of receipt.  However, as some documents may be subject to a third-party consultation process, the FOI Act provides agencies with the right to extend the applicable timeframe by an additional 30 days.  If consultation is required, applicants will be informed accordingly.


Fees and charges
FOI requests made to AgriFutures Australia on or after 1 November 2010 no longer require an application fee to be paid. However, the FOI Act provides that charges may be imposed for processing requests (except where applicants are seeking documents containing their own personal information).  Should an FOI request incur any charges, applicants will be provided with an estimate of the applicable charges.  Requests will not proceed until applicants provide a response to the estimate.

AgriFutures Australia may decide to remit, reduce or not impose processing charges under certain circumstances.


Review rights
Following receipt of the decision on access, applicants are entitled to seek an internal review of the decision and must write to FOI Coordinator within 30 days of being notified of the decision.

Alternatively, applicants may write to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) seeking a review of AgriFuture’s decision.  This can be done as a result of either the initial decision or the internal review decision.

Subsequent review options after internal review and OAIC review are also available.  The complete process for seeking a review on access is provided in the decision letter sent to the applicant at the completion of the request.


Contact
General Manager, Business and Finance
AgriFutures Australia
Building 007
Tooma Way
Charles Sturt University
Locked Bag 588
Wagga Wagga NSW 2650

02 6923 6900
louise.heaslip@agrifutures.com.au

Information Publication Scheme

Part II of the FOI Act establishes an Information Publication Scheme (IPS) for Australian Government agencies subject to the FOI Act.  The IPS commenced on 1 May 2011 and requires agencies to publish a broad range of information on their websites.

AgriFutures Australia Agency Information Plan describes how it intends to comply with the IPS.

In accordance with sub-section 8(2) of the FOI Act, AgriFutures Australia publishes the following information:

  • Who we are
  • What we do
  • Our Priorities
  • Reports and responses to Parliament
  • Working with us
  • Routinely requested information
  • Arrangements for public consultation
  • Operational information
  • Our Finances
  • Our Publications
  • Our Lists
  • Contact us

Our information is grouped and accessible through the following classes:


Who we are
This section includes information about our organisation and its structure, governance arrangements, Board, Advisory Panel members and senior management team.

The following information is located in the About section of this website:

  • Overview
  • Board of Directors
  • Advisory Panels
  • Corporate Documents
  • Contact us

This section includes information describing the AgriFuture’s functions and decision-making powers and other powers affecting the research community, rural industries and the public.


What We Do – Our Goals and Strategic Direction
This section outlines information on what our priorities are and how we are working to achieve these priorities.

The following information is located in the About section of this website:

  • Corporate Documents

The following information is located in the For Researchers section of this website:

  • Our Programs
  • Our Research Priorities
  • Applying for Research Funding


Our reports and responses to Parliament
AgriFutures Australia tables an Annual Report to Parliament each year in October. Copies of recent Annual Reports can be found in the section of this website.


Working with Us
AgriFutures Australia values social and cultural diversity and is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity and the provision of a safe and healthy work environment.

The following information is located in the Careers section of this website:

  • RIRDC Enterprise Agreement 2013-16

The following information is located in the For Researchers section of this website:

  • Applying for Research Funding

Routinely requested information and disclosure log
This section includes details of non-personal information AgriFutures Australia has released under the FOI Act that can reasonably be released to the wider public. Information in documents to which AgriFutures Australia routinely gives access in response to FOI requests will be clearly identified in the Disclosure Log.


Consultation
This section sets out how and to whom a comment may be submitted by members of the public, where AgriFutures Australia undertakes public consultation on a specific policy proposal.


AgriFutures Australia stakeholder survey
AgriFutures is committed to providing high quality research products and services and effectively engaging with its stakeholders. A bi-annual stakeholder survey helps to measure our performance against our key performance indicators and to identify opportunities for improvement.

Independent market and social researchers are commissioned to enable our stakeholders to provide feedback on an anonymous basis and to ensure objectivity in the collection and analysis of survey responses.


Our finances
This section includes information about what we spend and how we spend it, including financial statements, grants we administer, and financial information relating to pay and grading structures, procurement procedures, tendering and contracts.

The following information is located in the About section of this website:

  • Corporate Documents

The following information is located in the Corporate Governance section of this website:

  • Portfolio Budget Statements
  • Enterprise Agreement


Our publications
AgriFutures Australia’s extensive research library of publications is available for viewing, free downloading or purchasing from our print-on-demand portal under the Publications & Resources section of this website.


Our lists
Current indexed list of files are located in the Corporate Governance section of this website.


Contact
FOI Coordinator, General Manager, Business and Finance
AgriFutures Australia
Building 007
Tooma Way
Charles Sturt University
Locked Bag 588
Wagga Wagga NSW 2650

02 6923 6900
louise.heaslip@agrifutures.com.au

Information Publication Plan

AgriFutures Australia is an agency subject to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act). The 2010 reforms to the FOI Act included the introduction of the Information Publication Scheme (IPS). This plan describes how AgriFutures Australia intends to comply with the IPS by managing its IPS entry.


Purpose
The purpose of this plan is to:

  • Identify information AgriFutures Australia proposes to publish for the purposes of Part II of the FOI Act
  • Identify how and to whom AgriFutures Australia proposes to publish information for the purposes of Part II of the FOI Act
  • How AgriFutures Australia will otherwise comply with Part II of the FOI Act.


Objectives

AgriFutures Australia’s objectives are to outline appropriate procedures to:

  • Manage its information holdings relevant to the IPS
  • Proactively identify and publish all information required to be published
  • Proactively identify and publish all operational information
  • Review information published under the IPS on a regular basis to ensure that is accurate, up-to-date and complete
  • Ensure that information published under the IPS is discoverable, understandable and re-useable
  • Ensure that the format of online content conforms with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Version 2.0 (WCAG 2.0)
  • Measure the success of AgriFutures Australia’s contribution to the IPS by reference to feedback and review processes
  • Any other specific agency objectives as announced from time to time.


Establishing AgriFutures Australia’s contribution to the IPS

The General Manager, Business and Finance has overall responsibility for leading AgriFutures Australia’s work on implementing the FOI reforms, including the IPS. AgriFutures Australia is responsible for administration of Freedom of Information, communications and publishing.

AgriFutures Australia identified information required or permitted to be published under the FOI Act by:

  • Requesting Programs within AgriFutures Australia to review their functions and information holdings to identify material relevant to the IPS
  • Identifying information to be published under the IPS section of AgriFutures Australia’s website
  • Ensuring information to be published under the IPS section of the website was up to date, complete and accurate.


Timeframes for establishing the IPS at AgriFutures Australia are as follows:

Action Timeframe
New Freedom of Information & IPS internet pages made available on AgriFutures Australia website Completed
Staff awareness of the intent of the new FOI reforms Completed
Publication of documents released following an FOI decision Ongoing based on when documents are released following an FOI request (in accordance with timeframes specified in FOI Act).
Publication of information required to be published under sub-section 8(2) of the FOI Act. Progressively from 1 May 2011 onwards.
Review of AgriFutures Australia Web content to ensure ongoing information is up to date, WCAG 2.0 compliant and relevant. Annually, commencing Jan 2012
Review of AgriFutures Australia IPS compliance Annually, in conjunction with the Web content review.


Administering AgriFutures Australia’s contribution to the IPS
The General Manager, Business and Finance is responsible for managing the IPS and will maintain registers of information required to be published under the FOI Act.  AgriFutures Australia will assist the Communications Team to develop guidance material to explain AgriFutures Australia’s responsibilities for contributing to the IPS. The guidance material will:

  • Help staff identify on an ongoing basis any required or optional information to be published under the IPS
  • Describe processes to be followed internally to ensure the accuracy, currency and completeness of published information.

To ensure information published on the AgriFutures Australia website is discoverable, understandable, machine-readable, accessible, useable, up-to-date and accurate, the AgriFutures Australia ICT team will:

  • Engage in formal web content reviews conducted annually to determine whether any new or updated information needs to be published to comply with the IPS
  • As far as possible, ensure published information complies with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Version 2.0 (WCAG 2.0).


Charges
In promoting a pro-disclosure culture, AgriFutures Australia intends to make documentation available free of charge by primarily publishing information on its website.

While AgriFutures Australia will endeavour to provide as much documentation as possible online, some documentation is unable to be published.  This includes material that is exempt under the FOI Act or for which an FOI request must be submitted. Enquiries about the status of a document or information should be made initially to:

FOI Coordinator, General Manager, Business and Finance
AgriFutures Australia
Building 007
Tooma Way
Charles Sturt University
Locked Bag 588
Wagga Wagga NSW 2650

02 6923 6900
louise.heaslip@agrifutures.com.au

Requests for multiple copies of archived documents which are no longer available online may attract a charge for the cost of photocopying, postage etc. AgriFutures Australia will notify the applicant of any potential charge at the time of the request and the charge will be payable prior to release of the document.


Information Architecture
To ensure documents are easily discoverable, understandable and machine-readable, AgriFutures Australia will publish its IPS information holdings on its website and:

  • Include navigation from the About section of its website to the IPS page
  • Place an IPS logo on the Freedom of Information page
  • Where possible, create content in a format that is searchable
  • Provide a link for feedback on the IPS to ascertain if the content is discoverable, understandable and machine-readable.

IPS information holdings will be available online as outlined in the Information Publication Scheme.


Accessibility
As far as possible, information published to comply with the IPS will conform to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C’s) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Version 2.0 (WCAG 2.0).

Some documents cannot be provided in HTML format and some will be made available to download and share in Portable Document Format (PDF). Where possible, AgriFutures Australia has taken steps to ensure that alternate formats are available, commonly Rich Text Format (RTF). For downloadable documents, an icon appears alongside the document link to indicate the file type and size.


Alternate Repositories
A number of AgriFutures Australia documents have either an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) or International Standard Book Number (ISBN).  Where these numbers apply, the document will make note of such a number accordingly.


IPS Compliance Review
The review will examine AgriFutures Australia’s compliance with the IPS requirements along with a review of this plan at least annually, which will coincide with the annual web content review.

Various criteria will be used to measure AgriFutures Australia’s compliance with the IPS requirements, including:

  • Feedback from the public
  • Timeframes in which AgriFutures Australia publishes information online
  • Communication between AgriFutures Australia and members of the public in relation to accessing documents published online.

In accordance with section 9 of the FOI Act, AgriFutures Australia intends to review the operation of its IPS at least every five years commencing from 1 May 2011. Such a review will be undertaken in conjunction with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.


Feedback
AgriFutures Australia welcomes feedback on the approach it proposes to take to complying with the Information Publication Scheme (IPS) outlined in this plan.

Disclosure Log

AgriFutures Australia is required by the FOI Act 1982 (s11C) to publish a disclosure log on its website. The disclosure log lists information which has been released in response to an FOI access request.  This requirement has applied since 1 May 2011.

The disclosure log requirement does not apply to:

  • Personal information about any person if publication of that information would be ‘unreasonable’
  • Information about the business, commercial, financial or professional affairs of any person if publication of that information would be ‘unreasonable’
  • Other information covered by a determination made by the Australian Information Commissioner if publication of that information would be ‘unreasonable’
  • Any information if it is not reasonably practicable to publish the information because of the extent of modifications that would need to be made to delete the information listed in the above dot points.

A link is provided if the information can be downloaded from this website or another website.

Information that is not available on our website or in this Disclosure Log, or that is not available in HTML format, may be obtained by writing to:

FOI Coordinator, General Manager, Business and Finance
AgriFutures Australia
Building 007
Tooma Way
Charles Sturt University
Locked Bag 588
Wagga Wagga NSW 2650

02 6923 6900
louise.heaslip@agrifutures.com.au

A charge may be imposed to reimburse AgriFutures Australia for the cost incurred in copying or reproducing the information or sending it. There will be no charge for the time spent by AgriFutures Australia in processing the FOI request that led to this information being made available. Applicants will be notified if any charge is payable and required to pay the charge before the information is provided.

AgriFutures Australia will try to meet all reasonable requests for an alternative format of the document in a timely manner and at the lowest reasonable cost to the applicant.

Information attached to, or referred to, in the AgriFutures Australia Disclosure Log will generally be removed after 12 months, unless the information has enduring public value.

The information described in this disclosure log has been released by AgriFutures Australia under the FOI Act 1982 and is available for public access.

 

Disclosure Log

FOI Ref. No Date release to applicant Summary of FOI request recieved Summary of documents released (And weather released in full or part)
FOI 201617-01 8 November 2016

 

 The applicant requested copies of all videos and photographs taken during the field study for the purpose of research report “Improving the Humanness of Commercial harvesting”. Photographs are published in https://agrifutures.infoservices.com.au/items/13-116

Unpublished photos are exempt from release on the basis of s47G(1)(a) and s47G(1)(b) of the FOI Act.
FOI 201516-01 27 June 2016 The applicant requested copies of all videos and photographs taken during the field study for the purpose of research report “Improving the Humanness of Commercial harvesting”. Photographs are published in https://agrifutures.infoservices.com.au/items/13-116

Unpublished photos are exempt from release on the basis of s47G(1)(a) of the FOI Act.
FOI 201314-01 17 February 2014 The applicant requested documents relating to correspondence between the RIRDC Chairperson and the Minister for Agriculture between 8 September 2013 to 20 January 2014. Documents released in full.