The Building Capability Award recognizes food and fibre businesses that have demonstrated how and what they are doing to build capability across various aspects of their operations.

There are four finalists - all with very different businesses - a great sign of the diversity across the food and fibre sector in Gippsland

Gippsland women are making their mark across a huge range of food and fibre businesses throughout the region, and from an impressive number of entries, we have four finalists in the 2021 Female Agribusiness Leader of the Year Award.

The fab four come from different LGA’s across Gippsland: starting with an agronomist in the East, an artisan goods maker in the Baw Baw Shire, a dairy products entrepreneur in South Gippsland and a native foods farmer and cafe owner on the Bass Coast.

The next generation of leaders across Gippsland’s food and fibre sector is rich in talent, passion and drive. Whether they’re managing a multi generation family business, going all in with their own start up or are a senior team member of a small, medium or large business, this group of under 35’s are going places with a vision and a work ethic that is great for their industry and the community as a whole.

The Victorian Government is reducing the risk of bushfires and fostering energy resilience in regional communities with nation-leading powerline and microgrid initiatives. Residents of an additional 13 local government areas with high bushfire risk can now apply to underground their private powerlines through the Private Overhead Electric Line scheme.