Applications for 2011 RIRDC Rural Women's Award OPEN NOW

Applications are now open for the 2011 RIRDC Rural Women's Award. NSW Rural Women’s Award entries open


Make a difference and inspire others in your community


The NSW Government is encouraging women to apply for the annual RIRDC Rural Women’s
Awards for 2011, Minister for Primary Industries Steve Whan said today.
The Australian Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation (RIRDC) Rural Women’s
Award, showcases outstanding women who make a contribution to industry and their rural
communities.
“Women are the driving force behind many successful rural enterprises and are an integral part of
our country communities,” Mr Whan said.
“There is absolutely nothing women can’t do on the land, they are running everything from beef
enterprises, farmers markets, oyster ventures, cheese businesses, or in the case of last year’s
NSW winner – exporting Australian native flowers to the world.
“The RIRDC Rural Women’s Award is an important celebration of women’s achievements and it
also helps inspire the next generation of women to create sustainable and dynamic rural
industries.”
RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2011
· Entries are open from 1st August – 15th October.
· Women of all ages from NSW and the ACT who are involved in agriculture, primary
industries or resource development are encouraged to apply.
· A $10,000 bursary will be awarded to the NSW winner.
· The NSW winner and runner-up will have the opportunity to network with other winners and
runners-up from across Australia and participate in the RIRDC Rural Women’s Award
Australian Institute of Company Directors leadership program.
· One of the seven State and Territory winners will be selected as the 2011 Australian
RIRDC Rural Women’s Award winner.
Lana Mitchell was the 2010 NSW Rural Women’s Award winner from Gundaroo in the Southern
Tablelands. She grows and sells native flowers across Australia and exports to the US, the UK,
Europe and Japan. Lana is also the Editor of the Australian Flower Industry magazine and is
helping educate the industry about the benefits of native wildflowers.
Alison McIntosh from Crookwell in the Southern Tablelands was last year’s NSW runner-up. Alison
is a young, dynamic, fourth-generation farmer who is embracing 21st century technology to
increase productivity on her cattle farm and in her own business, which provides services and
training to beef producers.
The award is coordinated by Industry & Investment NSW’s Rural Women’s Network, and
supported in NSW by the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, the Office for
Women’s Policy – Department of Premier & Cabinet, TAFE NSW, and the NSW Farmers’
Association.
For an information package and a list of past winners and finalists who have kindly offered to
mentor women applying for the award, contact Allison Priest, NSW/ACT Award Coordinator on
02 6391 3620 or email: rural.women@industry.nsw.gov.au
MEDIA CONTACTS: Garth Montgomery 9228 3800 or 0408 864 851
Lyndall Hilder (Industry & Investment NSW) 6391 3312 or 0409 383 423