Service and non-AWBI exporters on compliance with non-bulk export consents given by the former Wheat Export Authority prior to deregulation. Ministerial directions During the previous reporting period, 1 October 2006 to 30 September 2007, the Minister had directed the former Wheat Export Authority to conduct one investigation under section 5DC of the Act. The EWC presented two interim reports and then delivered its final report on the investigation to the Minister on 14 December 2007. During the reporting period the Minister gave the EWC directions to undertake two further investigations (see page 59). While these placed additional requirements on the Secretariat, I am pleased to advise that these were concluded in an efficient and timely manner. The EWC presented its findings to the Minister in two confidential reports. Performance monitoring Due to the late closure of the 2005/06 National Pool, the EWC produced two reports on the performance of AWBI instead of the required one. The EWC delivered the 2007 PMR to the Minister in December 2007, in accordance with its requirements under the Act. This 177-page report was adapted into a 28-page report to growers, with the commercial-in-confidence elements removed. The EWC subsequently produced a 108-page commercial-in-confidence Addendum to the PMR and then published a 20-page Addendum to the Growers Report 2007 during 2007–08 to inform the Minister and growers on the performance of AWBI and a number of other topical wheat industry issues. Drought had a major impact on growers and exporters during the 2007/08 harvest which yielded 13.04 million tonnes, although this was 2.23 million tonnes above the 2006/07 harvest. The EWC statistics showed that approximately 5.4 million tonnes of wheat were exported during 2007/08. Western Australia and South Australia were the major wheat exporting States. On 1 July 2008, following the passage of legislative change, the EWC was replaced by Wheat Exports Australia. References External links Export Wheat Commission archived website Defunct government entities of Australia Grain industry of Australia Foreign trade of Australia Wheat organizations Agricultural organisations based in Australia