When it comes to driving growth in horticulture, who better to lead the way than the growers themselves?
Hort Innovation aims to ensure that industry voices shape research, trade and marketing investments, which also ensures that industry needs guide those investments. To achieve this, it partners with each industry’s Peak Industry Body, developing an advice mechanism that allows growers to have a direct say in how their levy is invested, while also meeting essential governance requirements.
For the olive industry, that partner is the Australian Olive Association, and the main advice mechanism is the Olive Strategic Investment Advisory Panel.
What are Strategic Investment Advisory Panels (SIAPs)?
Strategic Investment Advisory Panels comprise growers and other industry representatives who come together to discuss potential levy investments and advise Hort Innovation on where to make the most impact. Most of Hort Innovation’s industries have a SIAP, ensuring that investments align with the priorities of those directly involved in the sector.
In short, the panel provides a vital link between Hort Innovation and industry, helping Hort Innovation to make decisions on how, where and when investments need to be made to meet industry priorities.
How are investments prioritised?
Hort Innovation develops draft investment recommendations based on investment ideas that are aligned to the olive Strategic Investment Plan (SIP). The recommendations are taken to the olive advisory panel (SIAP) for feedback and prioritisation based on potential impact and available funding.
Potential levy investment ideas are discussed at meetings of the SIAP and Hort Innovation team members held throughout the year. The SIAP provides advice on each investment idea or recommendation, guided by the priorities of the industry SIP.
Prioritised investment projects are then contracted via a tender process and progressed by the chosen delivery partner/s. Regular milestone reports are provided to Hort Innovation as they progress, with a final report on outcomes made available to industry at the end of each project.
There’s more information on the Olive Fund Management structure and processes on the Hort Innovation website here , where you can also find out more about the current olive SIAP members.
