NT FARMERS CEO TO ATTEND A JOINT AGRICULTURE/TOURISM STAKEHOLDERS MEETING AND MINISTERIAL BREIFING IN CANBERRA FOCUSSING ON LABOUR ISSUES

Tue 19 April 2016

NT Farmers CEO Mr. Shenal Basnayake has been invited to Canberra next Tuesday 19 April by the office of
Minister Pitt, Minister Assisting the Deputy Prime Minister, for a meeting and ministerial briefing of the joint
agriculture and tourism stakeholders.
Mr. Basnayake noted that this meeting was a follow up on the meeting held in Sydney convened by Minister
Colbeck and is focussed on opportunities for longer term collaboration, coordination, innovation and
efficiencies to address labour issues. Mr. Basnayake stated that at the last meeting and subsequent follow up
discussions, he had advocated for the need to focus on the Northern Territory in its own right as there were
particular unique challenges and circumstances that the Northern Territory faced in relation to access and
availability of a consistent supply of labour, the tough environmental and climatic conditions, etc…
Mr. Basnayake noted that the group invited this time was smaller than those that attended Sydney and he was
pleased to have been invited as it showed that issues in the Northern Territory and Northern Australia was a
priority. He further noted that the invitation also indicated the effectiveness of NT Farmers in getting the
interests of its members out onto the national stage.

Media Requests:

Samantha Tocknell, Executive Support and Events Officer, NT Farmers

P: (08) 8983 3233

E: info@ntfarmers.org.au