Jim Turnour (Leichhardt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I also have some questions for the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. As the minister and other colleagues know, I have an agricultural background, so it is great to be here today to ask some questions specifically in relation to agriculture and to represent people in my electorate who are farmers, whether in the sugar industry or the grazing industry, and also other members of the agricultural sector I worked with over 20 or so years in agriculture. My questions go specifically to the Caring for our Country program and also the weeds program. I want to give some background to that as well because I think it is really important that the minister understands a bit about some of the agricultural issues in tropical North Queensland. I appreciate the fact that the minister came up there on one of his first visits as a minister. He met with the member for Kennedy early on as well and got to talk to him about some of the issues down around Innisfail. He also came up and hosted the first meeting of agricultural ministers in Cairns. I think that was a very worthwhile meeting. One of the outcomes was a real strengthening of the focus on climate change. I think that is a very important issue as well. I am sure the minister will touch on that in his responses to some of the questions that I have, particularly in relation to the Great Barrier Reef.

As the minister knows, I have worked for a long time in agriculture out in the extensive grazing areas, doing property management planning and business planning with graziers. Weeds are a huge issue out in that part of the world. Woody weeds are impacting significantly on the extensive grazing industry, and farmers and graziers are looking for what government is doing in the current budget to respond to the weed problems and the challenges we have out there. So I am looking forward to getting some response from you particularly in relation to weeds.

The other important area I have worked in relates to the Great Barrier Reef, particularly water quality issues. I know there have been some measures in the budget relating specifically to water quality and the impacts on the Great Barrier Reef, so I would like some feedback on that as well. Out in the extensive grazing areas there are real issues about ensuring that we reduce the amount of sediment that is running off and impacting on the reef. Graziers are doing some great things out there and have adopted some fantastic new farming systems or grazing systems in order to better match the numbers of cattle to the landscape. They are looking at how they can fence off waters, better manage the pastures that they have with the rainfall and in particular take a risk management approach to the way that they are working with the climate. I touched on the issue of climate change earlier on.

Climate change related to the management of their country is directly related to the sort of groundcover that we have and the level of sediment that is running off—or could potentially run off—into the Great Barrier Reef lagoon. It is particularly important that the government provides the appropriate supports to the Caring for our Country natural resource management boards and that it has some significant incentives for farmers and graziers within the budget. I am particularly keen for the minister to touch on that.

The rural and regional areas along the coast from Cairns in my electorate of Leichhardt down to the electorate of Flynn are effectively represented by good Labor, whether that is the member for Dawson, the member for Capricornia or the member for Flynn, who I am glad to see is here—he is also a great Queensland rural and regional representative. Of course, the member for Herbert, who is a Liberal, represents a provincial city there and then there is the Independent Mr Katter. But, effectively, Labor pretty much represents rural and regional Australia north of Bundaberg and it is great to work with those members.

The sugar industry is also looking for outcomes from the budget in terms of supporting sugar farmers to adopt more sustainable practices. I am sure that there are things in the budget in the Caring for our Country program. I think the Great Barrier Reef Rescue Plan is a very positive initiative. I would really appreciate the minister providing us with some feedback on that.

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