We are a statutory corporation founded in 1990 under the Primary Industries Research and Development (PIRD) Act 1989. We’re subject to accountability and reporting obligations set out in the Act and the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.

Our objective is to enhance the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Australian grain growers; and benefit the industry and wider community. We invest in research, development and extension (RD&E) to create enduring profitability for Australian grain growers.

We are accountable to the Australian Parliament through the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Ministers

The portfolio Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is the Hon Julie Collins MP.

The Assistant Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is Senator the Hon Anthony Chisholm.

Funding Agreement

In accordance with section 33 of the PIRD Act, we have entered into a Funding Agreement with the Commonwealth of Australia for the period 1 January 2025 – 31 December 2034.

The Funding Agreement specifies the terms and conditions by which money paid to us by the Commonwealth will be spent. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry manages the funding agreement on behalf of the Commonwealth.

The funding Agreement sets out a principles based approach to governance and performance that recognises the accountability of RDC Boards to be responsible for their governance, stakeholder engagement, R&D activities, priority setting and monitoring and evaluation.

The Companion document provides information on those performance principles.

• GRDC BPG Stakeholder engagement
• Guidelines for Statutory Funding Agreements
• RDC Knowledge Transfer Guide.

Performance principles

The Commonwealth has established Performance Principles set out in clause 9.2 to guide our performance under the funding agreement. The Commonwealth may conduct an independent review of our performance and compliance with the funding agreement against these Performance Principles.

Independent Review of Performance (2015-19)

The final review report and our response will be made available to the public.

• Performance Review Report
• Response and Implementation Plan
• SFA Performance Implementation August 2019.

Governance structure

Our operations are tailored to most effectively apply our organisation’s resources to achieve our outcomes.

Members of our board are selected and appointed in accordance with the PIRD Act. Under the Act, the Minister is responsible for the selection and appointment of the chair of our board. The Managing Director is selected by the board.

The strengths of our staff are enhanced by the experience of our directors and the diverse knowledge of our panel members. All aspects of our performance and accountability are underpinned by our corporate governance policies and practices.

View our governance structure (PDF).

For further information, view our structure.

Representative organisations

Under section 7 of the PIRD Act, we are accountable to Australian grain growers through the industry’s representative organisations:

• Grain Growers Limited
• Grain Producers Australia Limited.

We also consult widely with a range of other grower organisations. We meet with other representative organisations every six months and provide a formal opportunity for them to review our performance annually.

Grower Survey

We have been conducting a survey of Australian grain growers annually since 1993. The Computer Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI) survey is used to measure trends relating to grower attitudes, our performance and capture data related to our RD&E investments. This information helps us to improve how we deliver on our purpose of investing in RD&E to create enduring profitability for Australian grain growers.

View the latest GRDC Grower Survey report.

Freedom of Information

Freedom of Information (FOI) means the right of the public to access information Australian Government ministers and Australian Government agencies hold. This includes Norfolk Island agencies, with some exceptions. This right is promoted and enforced in the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).

For further information, visit our Freedom of Information page.

Privacy

Our Privacy Policy sets out how we manage personal information collected through business activities. Information from collection, use, disclose and storage is in full compliance with the Privacy Act 1988.

Visit our privacy page for more information.

Levy Payer Register

A Levy Payer Register has been established by GRDC that allows us to access levy payer information for grains levies collected in accordance with the Primary Industries Levies and Charges Collection Act 1991 (PILCC Act).

Our permitted use of this data is determined by legislation and is limited to:

• maintaining a register of levy payers
• maintaining a register of persons eligible to vote in any poll conducted by, or on behalf of us
• making public any information of statistical nature
• performing any of its functions under a law or contract between us and the Commonwealth
• determining whether a person is eligible to be a member or shareholder of GRDC.

GRDC protects the data in the Levy Payer Register in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 and Australian Privacy Principles - our Privacy Policy and Data Breach Response Plan is available. Anyone seeking access to the Levy Payer Register should read and follow the Levy Payer Register Procedures. This includes form/s to be completed and provided to GRDC.

Public Interest Disclosure

We operate a Public Interest Disclosure (PID) scheme in accordance with the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 (PID Act).

The PID Act aims to promote the integrity and accountability of the Commonwealth public sector by:

• encouraging and facilitating the making of disclosures of wrongdoing by public officials
• ensuring public officials who make public interest disclosures are supported and protected from adverse consequences
• ensuring disclosures are properly investigated and dealt with.

For further information or to make a disclosure, visit our Public Interest Disclosure page.

Fraud Control and Risk Management

Under the PGPA Act 2013, we are required take all reasonable measures to prevent, detect and deal with fraud to ensure proper accountability for the use and management of public resources.

We have established a Fraud Control Plan which identifies fraud risks and sets out the strategies required to reduce and manage those risks. The strategies are grouped into four key themes:

• fraud prevention
• detection
• response
• monitoring and review.

We recognise an integral component of effective governance is understanding the risks which may affect our ability to deliver on our purpose. Our Risk Framework sets out our commitment to regularly identifying, assessing and managing risk across all areas of the business.

Complaints

Our complaint handling system is modelled on principles of:

• fairness
• accessibility
• responsiveness
• efficiency.

Our complaints process aims to:

• effectively manage and resolve complaints fairly, equitably, transparently and within the relevant timeframes
• inform business improvement opportunities for us and further enhance the quality of our services
• assist us to refine and improve our policies, processes and systems.

If you wish to lodge a complaint, you can visit the contact us page.