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SEPWA was established in 1993 to represent wheat growers in the Esperance Port Zone.

26/10/2026

🌾 SEPWA calls for delay to new grain dust limits

SEPWA is calling on the State Government to defer the introduction of new grain dust exposure limits, due to come into effect on 1 December 2026.

The allowable grain dust exposure limit is being reduced from 4 mg/m³ to 1.5 mg/m³, yet there is still uncertainty about when growers will be required to undertake air monitoring and how they are expected to meet the new requirements.

In written advice to SEPWA, WorkSafe WA stated that air monitoring is not mandatory for every farm or airborne contaminant.

However, during a WorkSafe WA webinar on 15 October, a question about whether monitoring was required when employers didn't know the concentration of airborne contaminants received the response:

“The short answer, yes. Yes. You can’t manage it if you haven’t measured it.”

A Grain Producers Australia survey also found that 94.9% of WA growers surveyed were concerned about their ability to reasonably measure, monitor and manage the changes.

With harvest already underway, SEPWA believes growers need clear, consistent and workable advice before a substantially lower grain dust limit is introduced.

The State Government has already deferred new phosphine exposure limits and committed to further assessment of proposed diesel particulate matter limits.

SEPWA is calling for the same consideration for grain dust.

Read our full statement: https://sepwa.org.au/sepwa-calls-for-delay-to-new-grain-dust-exposure-limits/

22/10/2026

🌾 Making fast harvest decisions

More harvest capacity doesn't always mean a faster harvest. Sometimes it just shifts the bottleneck elsewhere.

Join this Friday's GRDC RiskWi$e webinar exploring the costs, risks
and trade-offs involved in harvest decisions.

Ben White from Kondinin Group and Peter Newman from Planfarm will discuss:

• Harvester operating costs and whether additional capacity is worthwhile.
• The costs and benefits of short-term on-farm storage.
• How machinery, labour, chaser bins, trucks and receival access affect harvest efficiency.
• Balancing investment costs against harvest timeliness and exposure to damaging weather.

A practical look at how knowing your numbers can help you make informed decisions when harvest conditions change.

📅 Friday 23 October
🕥 10.30–11.30 am WA time
💻 Online | Free webinar

Register here: https://bit.ly/3WttYlO

20/10/2026

🐭 A few harvest habits can help keep mouse numbers down

Harvest is a good opportunity to reduce the food available to mice and help limit numbers building over summer.

GRDC and CSIRO recommend a few practical steps:

🌾 Monitor paddocks for signs of mouse activity, particularly around headlands, fencelines and areas with heavier stubble.

🚜 Minimise header grain losses by checking and adjusting settings as harvest conditions change.

🧹 Clean up grain spills around field bins, sheds, silos and grain-handling areas.

👀 Keep monitoring after harvest so any changes in mouse activity are picked up early.

Reducing grain left on the ground removes an important food source for mice and can also improve the effectiveness of control measures if they're needed later.

GRDC has put together some useful practical information for growers:
🎥 Watch the video: https://youtu.be/3JwQzax6ltI

12/10/2026

⚠️ New dust & diesel exposure limits from 1 December

New workplace exposure limits for airborne contaminants will take effect in WA from 1 December 2026, including changes relevant to grain-growing businesses.

For grain dust from oats, wheat and barley, the eight-hour exposure limit will reduce from 4.0 mg/m³ to 1.5 mg/m³.

A new limit of 0.01 mg/m³ will also apply to diesel particulate matter.

SEPWA has sought clarification directly from WorkSafe about what growers will actually be required to do under the new limits, including whether farms will need to undertake ongoing air monitoring.

WorkSafe advised SEPWA that growers must identify dusts, fumes, gases and other airborne contaminants workers could be exposed to and take reasonably practicable steps to eliminate or minimise those risks.

Importantly, WorkSafe has confirmed that air monitoring is not automatically required on every farm.

“Air monitoring is not a mandatory requirement for every farm or every airborne contaminant. It is only required when a grower cannot be reasonably certain whether worker exposure could exceed a workplace exposure limit, or when monitoring is needed to determine whether there is a risk to health.”

WorkSafe also advised that, for many small and medium-sized farming operations, completing a risk assessment and implementing appropriate controls will generally be sufficient.

Published information on typical exposure levels for a task may also be used as part of that assessment.

Where air monitoring is required, WorkSafe advises growers to engage a suitably qualified person, such as an occupational hygienist.

WorkSafe is holding a webinar this Thursday 15 October, 10.00–11.30 am AWST, covering the transition from WES to WELs, what businesses will be required to do and compliance expectations. The webinar includes a Q&A.

Registrations close Wednesday 14 October.
👉 Register for the webinar: https://safetyline.wa.gov.au/events-single/wes-to-wels-transition-what-you-need-to-know/

👉 WorkSafe information for agriculture: https://www.worksafe.wa.gov.au/protecting-agricultural-workers-airborne-contaminants

SEPWA will continue to seek practical clarification on what the new requirements mean for grain-growing businesses as the 1 December commencement date approaches.

08/10/2026

Only two weeks out from harvest, some Esperance farmers are still waiting on skilled worker visa approvals following ongoing delays caused by the Federal Government’s immigration cuts.

South East Premium Wheatgrowers Association president Scott Wandel told the Kalgoorlie Miner he would like to see a specific broadacre visa established, rather than simply continue fast-tracking skilled worker visas for all agriculture jobs.

Mr Wandel said grain farmers would like to hire local workers, but there were issues finding enough staff or people with the experience required to operate specific harvest machinery.

READ: https://www.kalminer.com.au/news/kalgoorlie-miner/esperance-farmers-say-skilled-backpackers-essential-to-crop-harvesting-c-22974223

07/10/2026

In the Esperance port zone, growers are engaged in a race against the rain during Harvest.

This means maximising temporary grain storage solutions for efficiency, practicality, quality and profit is vital.

A free GRDC seminar will look at the options for new and existing storage infrastructure.

On Wednesday 14 October, Primary Business’ Chris Warrick will draw on experience from the GRDC Stored Grain project to step through the options available to growers, from bunkers and grain bags to other on-farm storage solutions.

The session will look at the relative benefits, risks, costs and practical considerations of each option, including how to manage temporary storage to protect grain quality.

The focus is on helping growers work out which option fits their operation and harvest logistics – so grain can keep moving and the headers can keep harvesting.

The webinar starts at 10am on 14 October. Register through this link - https://events.humanitix.com/grdc-fbuo-14-storage-options

29/09/2026

🚨 Waiting on a worker’s visa for harvest?

GrainGrowers and the National Farmers’ Federation are supporting growers whose Working Holiday Maker visa applications are still awaiting processing by the Department of Home Affairs.

If you need a visa application processed urgently for your harvest workforce, you can submit the application details to GrainGrowers.

The information will then be provided to the Department of Home Affairs by the National Farmers’ Federation to seek prioritisation.

👉 Submit application details here: https://ggl.graingrowers.com.au/whm-visa-applications-2026

With a backlog of applications currently being processed, growers are asked to use this pathway where there is an urgent need for prioritisation.

If you have more than one application requiring urgent processing, please complete a separate form for each applicant.

You will need details including the applicant’s visa type, date of application, proposed employment commencement date and Application Transaction Reference Number (TRN), which should begin with EGP.

23/09/2026

🔥 Engineering down header fire risk

Header fires are a risk every grower knows comes with harvest. Maintenance, regular clean-downs and vigilance remain the foundation — but are there engineering options that can add another layer of defence?

SEPWA’s newsletter looks at some of the approaches being used or explored in Australian harvest conditions, including:
• heat shielding and coatings around hot components
• pressurised airflow systems to reduce dust and chaff build-up
• automatic fire suppression systems
• thermal and infrared monitoring to identify hot spots
• heat-activated aerosol suppression devices.

The aim isn’t to replace the practices growers already rely on. It’s to look at what else might help reduce the likelihood of ignition or limit the consequences if something does go wrong.

There are trade-offs too. Any retrofit needs to suit the machine and be considered carefully so additional hoses, wiring or components don’t inadvertently introduce another risk. Manufacturer specifications, warranties and insurance implications also need to be considered.

With harvest approaching, it might be worth a read and a conversation about what could fit your operation.

👉 Read the full article: https://sepwa.org.au/newsletter-autumn-2026/

21/09/2026

🌾 One more September field walk to go

The North Mallee Farm Improvement Group (NMFIG) is hosting their field walk this Wednesday, 23 September, with a full day of trials, crop updates and paddock stops across the North Mallee.

The day starts with morning tea at the Community Centre from 9.00 am before diving in to:
• SPAA VRT trial
• AgriSpace
• N × P banking
• Vetch brown out
• Fertiliser update
• NVT site
• SEPWA canola, barley and wheat trials
• Long season wheat
• Bladder clover and trigonella

The day will finish back at the Community Centre with a sundowner and dinner.

📅 Wednesday 23 September
🕘 Morning tea from 9.00 am

Please join NMFIG and collaborating partners for the final field walk in the September field walk round.

See the flyer for the full program and locations.

20/09/2026

🚜 Tomorrow at Cascade

The GRDC Harvester Set-Up Workshop is on tomorrow, Monday 21 September, at Youngleaze Farm, Cascade.

Hosted by SEPWA and Youngleaze Farm, the day will cover harvest loss, harvester efficiency, harvest w**d seed control, fire prevention and harvest operations, with local headers on site for demonstrations.

We’ll finish with a sundowner hosted by Rabobank.

📍 Youngleaze Farm, Cascade Road, Cascade
📅 Monday 21 September
⏰ 9am–3pm
🍽️ Free and catered

Address

Melijinup Road
Esperance, WA
6450

Telephone

9083 1125

Website

http://www.sepwa.org.au/

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