Latest news from QFVG
We’ve got your back with clear, reliable updates so you never miss the information that matters.
For growers and industry: Subscribe to QFVG News for the latest advocacy updates, QFVG events, and partner opportunities.
For media: Join our Media Distribution List to receive QFVG media releases and official announcements direct to your inbox.
Wage and super changes now active: what you need to know
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has confirmed a 3.5% increase to minimum award wages, effective from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2025. Importantly, the updated wage tables for the Horticulture Award 2020 and other relevant modern awards have now been released.
Addressing psychosocial hazards: new employer duties in 2025
Queensland’s workplace safety rules have expanded beyond physical risks to include psychosocial hazards – issues like workplace stress, bullying and harassment, sexual harassment, poor communication, unrealistic expectations, lack of support and toxic organisational cultures.
Better fruit, stronger future: The Australian pineapple industry’s bold steps to grow, improve
From elite pineapple clones to smarter spray systems and a prototype that could reshape the future of pineapple planting - this year’s Elimbah CO-OP Pineapple Field Days (24–25 July, Sunshine Coast) will put practical, grower-led innovation on full display.
FNQ growers talk undercover farming
Protected cropping offers a controlled environment to nurture some of our most delicate and valuable horticulture crops, but it takes infrastructure, technical expertise, and can present challenges around pollination as well as input costs and intensity.
Opening young eyes to the world of ag
From fresh-picked strawberries to high-tech tractors, the journey from paddock to plate relies on an incredible mix of skills, smarts, and dedication. But ask most young people what it means to “work on a farm,” and chances are they’ll say, “picking and packing.”
Everything Ag is flipping that script.
Different roads, shared destination: Cleaner waterways through smart farming
Across Southeast Queensland, a quiet but powerful shift is underway. From Kalbar to Mount Sylvia, local farmers are making smart, sustainable changes that go beyond increasing yields - they’re actively protecting the waterways that run through their communities and into Moreton Bay.
IR Unpacked 2025: Understanding IR Changes & New Minimum Wages
QFVG's Partner Who Cares, and leading workplace advisors, Focus HR provides a full breakdown of what all businesses need to know about the new and significant IR changes and the new minimum wage decision which came into effect on Tuesday, 1 July 2025.
From risky to ready: Taking control of farm risks
As a grower, you are your business.
You know it all – from the soil, to the lay of your land, who to call when that tractor plays up, even everyone’s wages.
But what happens if you’re suddenly off-farm? Whether it’s due to illness, injury, a natural disaster, or simply on a long-overdue holiday. How would your business carry on without you?
Protection Visas: Let's change the conversation
The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme is one key piece of the horticulture industry’s workforce puzzle.
A listening ear and helping hand
Far North Queensland growers are no strangers to nature’s challenges. But when Ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper swept through in late 2023, it left damage and disruption that would rattle even the most experienced farmer.
Queensland leads the way on farm workplace compliance
Queensland’s horticulture industry has been recognised as a national leader in workplace compliance, following the release today of the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Horticulture Compliance Report 2021–2024.
Finding common ground on soil health
Growers recently came together in Goomboorian with a shared goal: building healthier soil for stronger, more resilient crops.
Grower feedback shapes future support for Queensland horticulture
Queensland’s horticulture industry is taking a big step forward with data-driven insights that promise smarter, more resilient farming.
Hort Connections 2025: tech, treats & trends
From curious confections like beetroot ice cream and carrot marshmallows to state-of-the-art precision technologies and AI, last week’s Hort Connections Conference was a showcase of current and emerging solutions across the supply chain.
Queensland grit shines on
As Australia’s most disaster-prone state, Queenslanders certainly bring the grit when it comes to navigating everything mother nature throws at us.
2025 Fair Work minimum wage review
With Fair Work’s Annual National Minimum Wage Review just announced and taking effect from the first full pay period after 1 July, now’s the perfect time to get ahead and make sure your business is prepared.
Why strategy still matters - even when the weather doesn’t care
In horticulture, the phrase “best laid plans” often feels like a cruel joke. A bumper harvest can be ruined by unexpected rain, an oversupplied market, or external factors like tariff shifts.
Have your IR/HR questions answered
With only a handful of sessions left, if workforce is keeping you up at night… this is an opportunity not to be missed.
Get ready for superannuation guarantee changes
From 1 July 2025, the rate of superannuation guarantee is increasing from 11.5% to 12%.
Incorrect wage payments cost Chatime over $290,000 in backpay, penalties
One recent case serves as a reminder that those who make executive decisions that result in contraventions of minimum conditions, may be held personally liable for such decisions.