Industry backs direction of WA Roadmap to 2028

Western Australian sheep producers and industry representatives broadly welcomed the draft WA Roadmap to 2028, noting it reflected both on-farm realities and supply-chain conditions.

A recent second industry workshop included 26 participants from across the sheepmeat and wool value chain to sense-check the draft Roadmap direction, with the tone of discussions practical, constructive and future-focused.

Attendees valued the opportunity to collaboratively test the draft to ensure the Roadmap aligned with commercial conditions as well as long-term industry aspirations.

The draft was generally well received for its confident, future-focused, and positive tone, with participants valuing its emphasis on innovation, science, and technology.

However, feedback consistently highlighted the need to better balance these elements with economic reality, market drivers, profitability, and a whole-of-supply-chain perspective.

Refinements to the Roadmap will reflect this feedback.

Workshop discussions also reinforced the importance of industry confidence, informed decision-making, and collaboration across the supply chain.

Participants emphasised that many initiatives proposed in the Roadmap already exist, highlighting the need for improved communication, better targeting of advisors, agents and producer-support industries, and more compelling engagement approaches for producers.

Additional initiatives were suggested to address resource efficiency, transport, forward pricing, talent attraction, and professional development.

Suggestions for improvement were concentrated on clarity and execution, with workshop participants calling for sharper wording, clearer measures of success, and stronger alignment with commercial realities.

Sense-checking the Roadmap highlighted the importance of strengthening whole-of-supply-chain thinking, ensuring goals could be evaluated, and avoiding duplication of existing programs.

The consistent message was that progress will rely on clearer communication pathways and more effective engagement mechanisms across the sector.

Organisations represented included ASHEEP and BEEF, Australian Wool Innovation, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Facey Group, Grower Group Alliance, Livestock and Rural Transport Association WA, Meat & Livestock Australia, Nutrien, Pastoralists and Graziers Association of WA, Sheep Producers, sheep producers Australia, Southern Dirt, Stud Merino Breeders, WA Farmers, WA Shearing Industry Association and West Midlands Group.