Commonwealth water policy blamed for loss of 78 jobs at rice giant
After a month of consultation with staff and unions, SunRice has confirmed the loss of 78 jobs and changes to 92 positions in the Riverina, with the local council pointing the finger at water buybacks.
SunRice, one of the world's largest rice companies, has announced the loss of 78 jobs and changes to 92 positions in its southern NSW operations in Leeton and Deniliquin. The company attributes the job cuts to the federal government's water buyback policy under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. SunRice, which employs about 650 people in the region, cited low crop volumes caused by drought as the primary reason for scaling down its local operations.
The company has been publicly advocating for the adverse impacts of water policy settings on the Riverina rice industry. Peter Herrmann, president of the Ricegrowers Association of Australia, expressed deep concern over the loss of jobs in the community, stating that these decisions have a significant impact on regional areas. The Leeton Shire Council reported that the redundancies would directly affect 10 families in Leeton and 68 families in Deniliquin.
SunRice will transition from 24/7 production at its Leeton mill to 16-hour shifts, five days a week, while the Deniliquin mill will maintain five-day production but reduce hours from 24 to 8 per day.
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