While the company has said it is committed to “retaining as many employees as possible”, it is not yet clear whether the changes will result in job losses.
A SunRice spokesperson told the Pastoral Times that the changes to Riverina milling operations is driven by rice supply, which is “driven by ongoing dry conditions and current water policy settings”.
“These changes include revised shift structures at our Deniliquin and Leeton milling sites to better align operations with current and forecast rice supply levels,” the spokesperson said.
“As a result of these changes, we have commenced consultation with employees on the proposed workforce impacts across Deniliquin, Leeton and AGS operations.
“We acknowledge the significance of this announcement for our people and the local communities.
“Our focus is on retaining as many employees as possible, including exploring redeployment opportunities where feasible.
“As always, we are committed to engaging openly, constructively and transparently with our people throughout the consultation process.
“We continue to advocate to government on the adverse impacts of water policy settings on the Riverina rice industry, while closely monitoring seasonal conditions and crop outlook.”
No further details are available at this time.
