Who we are

The Dairy Extension Centre was established by the Victorian Government and Dairy Australia in October 2005 as a “virtual” centre of extension capability and program delivery. The Centre operates within the Department of Primary Industries and delivers extension services to meet South Eastern Australian dairy farmers’ needs.

The Strategy Group

The Dairy Extension Centre Strategy Group (previously known as The Board) has been established to oversee the development and implementation of the DEC aims and objectives.

The Strategy Group have a private members area in this website.

Regional Extension Committees

To make sure we know what farmers need in each dairy region of Victoria we have set up three Regional Extension Committees to oversee the delivery of dairy programs in their region.

The REC’s are responsive to changing conditions and can suggest changes in programs to best reflect what is needed in each region. 

What we do

The Dairy Extension Centre has a flexible approach to working with dairy farmers and offers a wide range of programs and products. We provide advice and support to work with farmers to build a resilient dairy industry.

From programs lasting several days to discussion and impact groups, field days, workshops and on farm visits there is always something happening.

You can find information on the latest developments in our programs. We cover grazing management, dairy cow nutrition, soils and fertilisers, milk harvesting, business management, nutrient and water management and when emergencies happen we respond quickly and follow up with recovery work.

Please feel free to contact us with any comments or suggestions

 Our brochure

 What we believe

• The best results are achieved by collaborating with rural communities and partnerships.
• The Dairy Extension Centre is driven by the needs of dairy farmers.
• Project products are learner centred.
• Success is measured by practice change on-farm.
• Success depends on social and cultural factors as well as the technical information it delivers.
• We get better by continuous improvement

Achievements to date

A snapshot of the work of the Dairy Extension Centre has been documented in the  Achievements Report 2007/2009 and the Achievements Report 2006/07.

Our funders

The Dairy Extension Centre (DEC) is a partnership between the Department of Primary Industries Victoria and Dairy Australia, which is backed by dairy farmers through a Dairy Service Levy and funds from the Australian Government. This enables the DEC to invest in programs and services for South Eastern farmers on a three-year rolling basis.