The Gardiner Foundation’s 2024-2028 Strategic Plan was unveiled at the Australian Dairy Leaders Luncheon Monday 26 February emphasising five priorities: Financial Stewardship, People in Dairy, Community Development, Research & Innovation, and Industry Support.

CEO Allan Cameron highlighted the plan’s focus on empowering dairy people, driving industry change, strengthening communities and sustaining investment in dairy prosperity.

“This plan is not just a document, it is a commitment to help build a thriving, vibrant future for all those involved in the dairy industry and dairy communities,” Mr Cameron said.

The event featured guest speaker Bernard Salt AM, Australian futurist, analyst, commentator and author, who presented on the demographics of dairy farming in Victoria. Salt outlined industry challenges, such as flat farm productivity, ageing farmers and corporatisation.

The presentation also offered various solutions and opportunities to address these challenges, many of which align with the goals of the Gardiner Foundation’s Strategic Plan.

“When shaping our investment strategies, we will adopt a forward-looking perspective, considering long term prospects within financial markets, the dairy industry and Victorian dairy communities,” Mr Cameron said.

“Gardiner Foundation is a source of support for industry, research and innovation, communities and individuals – this plan seeks to extend us beyond our traditional reach to further Victorian dairy.”

The plan includes initiatives such as piloting a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) project to integrate migrants into dairy communities and launching a Regional Wellbeing Index to identify and inform investments and provide insightful analysis for governments, industries, and philanthropy.

“We expect to revamp our Community Grants Program and will be actively seeking input from communities to enhance the impact of community development initiatives.”

“We also aim to facilitate social enterprise models addressing dairy community needs in areas such as infrastructure, workforce development, health, and education,” Mr Cameron said.

The Strategic Plan resulted from stakeholder engagement sessions, workshops, and consultations with industry and community leaders, reaffirming the Foundation’s role in complementing other investors within Victorian dairy communities and the industry as a whole.

“The success of our plan will be evident in the prosperity of our dairy people, the resilience of our communities, and the continued growth and innovation of our industry,” Mr Cameron said.

To learn more about the plan and download the full document, visit: https://www.gardinerfoundation.com.au/strategy/