Saturday, 25 July 2026

Safety belongs in every boardroom, not just every paddock

Farm safety isn't only shaped in the paddock.

It's shaped in boardrooms, meetings, industry conferences and every place where decisions are made about the future of Australian agriculture.

As National Farm Safety Week wraps up today, Farmsafe Australia is calling on industry leaders, agribusinesses and agricultural organisations to recognise that safety is a leadership responsibility that deserves a place on every agenda.

The campaign message is delivered by Safer Farmers Ambassador Robbie Davis, a South Australian who grazes cattle and believes the strongest safety cultures are created when leadership extends beyond individual farms and becomes part of how the entire industry thinks, plans and leads.

For Robbie, leadership isn't defined by job titles or positions of authority.

"Leaders are not always the people who hold the highest rank. Leadership has always involved people, not a person."

She believes protecting people is one of agriculture's greatest leadership responsibilities and that safety should be viewed as a strategic business issue rather than simply a compliance requirement.

"Safety belongs in strategy because it concerns risk, governance, reputation, productivity, people, trust and accountability. It must be on everyone's agenda."

Robbie says every part of the agricultural supply chain has a role to play in shaping safer workplaces.

From agribusinesses and processors to industry organisations, advisors and producers, the standards leaders choose to prioritise influence the expectations that flow throughout Australian agriculture.

"Culture and strategy are very much intertwined. A safety strategy will fail if the culture doesn't support it."

She believes the strongest leaders create environments where people feel respected, trusted and empowered to contribute.

"Respect starts at the top. Respect builds trust, and trust drives safer decisions and behaviours."

Farmsafe Australia Chair Felicity Richards said leadership in agriculture had traditionally been associated with resilience, hard work and getting the job done, but the industry's future also depended on the standards leaders chose to set.

"Safety and wellbeing must be recognised as leadership issues, not side conversations. From conference agendas and boardroom discussions through to paddock conversations and daily decision-making, the standards industry leaders choose to prioritise send a powerful message about what Australian agriculture values and expects."

Ms Richards said lasting culture change required safety to be considered alongside every other strategic business priority.

"When leaders make safety visible in planning, investment and decision-making, it demonstrates that protecting people is fundamental to building strong, sustainable agricultural businesses."

For Robbie, improving safety is not about creating more rules, it's about creating better leadership. "We want to create a culture of protection, not just compliance."

National Farm Safety Week (19–25 July) is proudly delivered by Farmsafe Australia. The 2026 campaign, ‘Set the Standard: Show ‘em how it’s done’, encourages leaders across every part of Australian agriculture, from family farms to corporate boardrooms, to recognise that the decisions made around leadership tables today help shape the safety culture the industry will inherit tomorrow. For more information and resources, visit Farmsafe Australia.

FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT

Nicole Streete

Email: nicole.streete@havasred.com Mobile: 0447 146 001

About Farmsafe Australia

Farmsafe Australia is the peak industry body, bringing together farmers, industry experts, and agricultural stakeholders to ensure that every farm has access to safety information and education to create a safer place to live and work. With deep roots in the agricultural community, we share trusted resources and expert insights, ensuring every farm has access to support to help them protect what matters most.

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Disclaimer: These suggestions are intended as a guide only and are designed to provide information - it is not legal advice and does not take the place of proper individualised on-farm workplace inductions, work, health and safety training, or any other tailored steps which may be necessary to protect health and safety at specific worksites.