Rural women's award nominations due

Women considering entering the 2014 Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation's Rural Women's Award have been urged to act soon, as nominations close at the end of the month.

The annual award is designed to identify and support women who have a desire to create beneficial change in the primary industry and natural resource management sector.

The WA State winner receives a $10,000 bursary to transform their vision into a reality. For the first time the runner up receives $5000 and all finalists will receive $2000 from the Department of Agriculture and Food.

2013 Western Australian winner, Narrogin agricultural consultant Danielle England, said she had had an amazing year pursuing her passion to stimulate innovation in the rural sector to drive international competitiveness.

Ms England used her bursary to attend a national forum on innovation systems and pathways. She went to New Zealand to learn more about the role of private consultants in generating innovation and attended a company directors course.

"It has given me permission to explore my vision and more confidence to push boundaries and ask questions about what drives innovation and research," she said.

"As a result, I've become more aware of the drivers to create change, and that as a whole industry we need to keep changing to remain internationally competitive."

Ms England also led a delegation of farm and rural business managers from the eastern wheatbelt on a tour of Victoria to learn how their counterparts managed the State's 'millennium drought'.

Ms England will represent Western Australia at the national awards, to be announced next Wednesday, 16 October in Canberra.

Nominations for the 2014 Rural Women's Awards close on Thursday, 31 October. For nomination forms and further information visit ruralwomensaward.gov.au or contact Department of Agriculture and Food senior policy officer Christine Thompson on 9368 3615 or 0427 986 351.

The WA RIRDC Rural Women's Awards are supported by the department, the CBH Group and Westpac.