A clipping from the Australian Financial Review from 1992.
Not Coles’ first rodeo in dairy game
A recent article in Country News about the regulatory body, the ACCC, made mention that an Australian supermarket had not owned and operated a dairy processing plant.
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The ACCC was looking at the purchase by Coles of two milk processing plants in NSW and Victoria from Saputo.
An observant reader has pointed out that Coles has previously owned a dairy company, once known as Sandhurst Dairies, at Bendigo in the 1980s.
Our reader friend has a good memory, as Coles unloaded the company in 1992 to Queensland-based company QUF for more than $23 million.
QUF and Coles had negotiated a supply agreement which to allow the Sandhurst products to continue to be sold through Coles Myer supermarkets in Victoria.
Curiously, in 1992 Coles believed the dairy company was not a core operation for the company.
Now the company has to persuade the ACCC that its move into NSW milk processing is not anti-competitive and won’t allow them to exert undue market control in a state where there are only a few larger milk processors.
The two factories in question already produce milk for Coles’ own branded lines.
While the ACCC acknowledges that there are multiple competitors in the Victorian market, NSW is another matter.
ADC is pulling a swifty
Australian Dairy Conference organisers have changed the event’s dates to avoid a clash with Taylor Swift’s Melbourne concerts next year. Photo: AP/AAP Image.
What do you do when Australia’s ‘premier dairy event’ clashes with a pop megastar’s long-awaited Australian tour?
You move the dairy conference, of course.
The Australian Dairy Conference was scheduled to be held in Melbourne from February 14 to 16. The dates were being promoted everywhere — online, in media releases. Registrations were already open.
But then ‘Tay Tay’ mucked it all up.
In case you’ve been living under a rock — or have no connection to anyone under 30 — pop sensation Taylor Swift broke the internet when tickets to her Australian concerts went on sale.
She has sold out three concerts at the MCG, on February 16, 17 and 18 next year.
That’s a lot of people in Melbourne.
So, the ADC organisers jumped in and changed their dates to February 12 to 14.
And judging by the media release they issued about the change, they have a sense of humour.
“There is only one place to be in February 2024 and that is Melbourne for the hottest and biggest events in town,” the ADC statement said.
“Turns out international megastar Taylor Swift also wants to join in the fun. So, we have pulled a bit of a ‘swifty’ ourselves and shuffled Australia’s premier dairy event forward to the start of the week (Monday to Wednesday) to ensure you can absolutely immerse yourself in both events.
“This slight shuffle means you can totally devote all your attention to your dairy business and fit in Tay Tay at the end of the week.
“Or depending which way you are aligned alternatively escape the city in time to avoid the forthcoming teenage invasion (wink!).
“Our advice, lock your flights and accommodation in ‘swiftly’ before things really reach fever pitch as Taylor mania appears to be cranking up already and is seriously next level. Get on the front foot to avoid escalating prices. Book your accommodation now.”
Better than the Big Banana
Euroa's 'Mighty Magpie' was unveiled on Friday, August 11.
We’re a country that loves ‘big’ things.
From big bananas and pineapples, to Murray cod and Merinos — even a big potato and a prawn — if you can hang a tourism message on the back of a giant ‘thing’, we’ll do it.
Now Euroa is in on the action with a giant magpie.
Standing at 3.5m high, it was officially unveiled at Seven Creeks Park on August 11.
Artist and Longwood resident Steve Tobin said he and fellow artist Tank had not held back when they created the biggest magpie sculpture in the country.
“Move over the Big Banana, Euroa and Strathbogie Shire has something better,” he joked.
The ‘Massive Magpie’ was initiated by a joint submission by the Euroa Chamber of Business and Commerce and the Euroa Community Action group to Strathbogie Shire Council’s Pitch My Project initiative in council’s 2022-23 budget and received significant community support.
