Cotton Australia has facilitated its second farm tour in five months for Queensland Energy Minister Mick de Brenni and policy-makers, as CA works for growers on addressing issues with electricity tariffs and supply issues.

General Manager Michael Murray and Regional Manager Sally Rigney were part of the delegation that also included Energy Queensland’s Chief Engineer Peter Price, General Manager of Renewables and Distributed Energy Glenn Springall, Liam Byrnes (PhD), Executive Director of Energy at the Department of Energy and Climate, and Andrew Chamberlain, Project Manager for Energy at the Queensland Farmer’s Federation

The tour began at Ian and Anne Brimblecombe’s property, "Brooklyn," where the group examined extensive solar installations and discussed critical network access issues, the sale of solar electricity, and a proposed micro-grids project.

The delegation then visited Beardmore Gin, where Queensland Cotton representatives John Robinson and Brendan Murray, highlighted how existing ginning tariffs impact the efficiency and productivity of cotton processing.

The tour concluded at Ian and Robyn Todd’s property, "Wagaby," where diesel is currently used for water harvesting due to electricity tariffs making overhead electricity usage economically unfeasible.

Throughout the tour, there was a sense of collaboration as Ergon, a subsidiary of Energy Queensland, heard the concerns raised by stakeholders and discussed potential solutions. Cotton Australia will continue working with policymakers to bring to light the challenges faced by the growers and the industry regarding electricity access and affordability.