The 2007 winner of the Australian RIRDC Rural Women’s Award is Victoria’s Deborah Bain, a woolgrower from the state’s Western District; and South Australia’s Abi Spehr, a rural facilitator and mediator from the Limestone Coast, has been named the 2007 Australian Rural Women’s Award Runner-Up.

The announcement was made last night at the Australian RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2007 Dinner at Parliament House in Canberra, proudly presented by the Australian Women’s Weekly.

The RIRDC Rural Women’s Award recognises the vital contribution women make to agriculture and rural Australia and encourages their greater capacity by providing them with the support and resources to further develop their skills and abilities.

Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) Managing Director Dr Peter O’Brien said that the winner and runner-up for the national award are innovative and tenacious, just like Australia’s rural sector.

“Deb and Abi were selected from the state winners on merit, for their inspiring visions for rural industries and for their capacity to make a real and lasting contribution to rural Australia and its people,” he said.

National winner Deborah Bain and her husband David run a wool-growing property in western Victoria, but her passion is for promoting the importance of agriculture to urban Australians.

She pioneered the highly successful concept of Farm Day, giving city families the chance to be hosted by a farm family for the day, as a simple but effective way to promote agriculture.

Deborah will use the Award to help develop her business and governance skills, which will be critical to supporting the project after Farm Day’s national debut next weekend.

Runner-up Abi Spehr is partner in a fourth-generation mixed grazing and cropping property on South Australia’s Limestone Coast, and a successful rural facilitator and Regional Farmbis Coordinator.

She believes that social factors are important in sustainable and prosperous agriculture, with family relationships critical to the long term stability of family farm businesses. Her particular interest is the relationship between the mother and the daughter-in-law in family farm situations, and she plans to research and publish a book, and develop an education program, dealing with these issues.

“Deb and Abi are both positive about the long term future of rural Australia and are committed and determined to ensure its long term sustainability and its human resource base,” he said.

“Deborah and Abi have a busy and exciting year ahead of them, in raising the profile of the contribution women make to agriculture and to rural Australia in the national arena. The Award will also raise their profile and open up exciting new opportunities for personal development and exposure to new ideas and people.”
The Award provides a Bursary of $10,000 for each of the seven State and Territory winners, to help them achieve their vision for their industry and enhance their skills and capacity to contribute to agriculture, natural resource management and rural Australia.

The Award also offers all State and Territory Winners and Runner-up a chance to attend the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ course.
The Award is an initiative of the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation in partnership with the state government agencies for agriculture and primary industries.

The RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2007 National Partners are the Australian Government’s Office for Women, Department of Transport and Regional Services and Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

The 2007 Award’s three major sponsors are The Australian Women’s Weekly, Rural Press and ABC Radio.

ENDS

Media inquiries: RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2007 National Coordinator Edwina Clowes, 0417 727 544 or clowesedwina@bigpond.com
RIRDC Public Affairs Manager Martin Field 0418 430 760 or martin.field@rirdc.gov.au

Press-quality photos of the winner and runner up are available for download at www.ruralwomensaward.gov.au/media2007