Jodie Campbell (Bass, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to thank my parliamentary colleague the member for Lyons for raising this important issue, and I was more than happy to second his private member’s motion. Some in this House may well be surprised to learn of the dire situation of many farmers in my home state of Tasmania. While Tasmania may generally be associated with lush landscapes, the reality unfortunately could not be further from the truth. In my electorate of Bass farmers in the north-east and on Flinders Island are particularly affected. They have been forced to ship stock to the mainland of Tasmania, as there is simply no longer enough feed on the island. This is quite simply the worst drought on record. It has been going and getting progressively worse since 2005, and farmers are now looking at yet another dry summer on the back of yet another failed spring. Even the largest and formerly most productive farms are running out of feed and grain.

I have spoken with the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association and what they are reporting is frightening, disturbing and, frankly, quite heartbreaking. The TFGA estimates that more than 2½ thousand workers have left the rural sector. Businesses across the state and in all sized communities are suffering. The association is aware of suicides and schools are reporting behaviour from students which is uncharacteristic, and that is being attributed to the pressure and stress that farming families are suffering. Mothers are no longer going to parent-teacher nights because they simply cannot face them.

As we look to summer, things are only becoming worse. This is the time when farmers build stockpiles for the winter but they can barely feed the stock they have now, let alone consider looking to the future. There is nothing for them to stockpile.

I can inform the House that there are two declared exceptional circumstances areas in Tasmania. These cover 48.7 per cent of Tasmania’s agricultural land—almost half. The Australian government has provided more than $3½ million in income support payments to 490 Tasmanian farm families and small business owners and a further $4.7 million in interest rate subsidies to over 174 farmers and small business operators in Tasmania.

The National Rural Advisory Council has already commenced its reviews of the Tasmanian EC areas as part of the review of 52 EC areas that are due to expire at the end of March. As part of its review NRAC consider advice from a number of sources, including state departments, the Bureau of Rural Sciences, the Bureau of Meteorology, landholders and agricultural and business consultants. As part of this process they may also visit areas.

I am informed by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry that the council will visit Flinders Island in December. I can inform the House that this news was welcomed by farmers and landowners on Flinders Island. I was on the island last week and there is a growing sense of desperation. Nothing has changed; there has been no rain and farmers and their families are struggling. I was pleased also to inform the community of a commitment given to me by the agriculture minister, the Hon. Tony Burke, that he would visit the island. I thank him for that commitment and his commitment to the people of Flinders Island. I would like to take this opportunity to encourage the state Minister for Primary Industries and Water, Minister Llewellyn, to visit Flinders Island so that he too can experience firsthand the challenges the island faces.

The government aims to announce extensions and cessations well before the expiry date, giving producers plenty of time to make decisions for their farms. There is, as I said, a growing sense of desperation within Tasmania’s farming community. There is also, I believe it is fair to say, a realisation that this is perhaps the way of the future, that climate change has indeed changed how we farm in my home state. I would encourage that approach. On this side of the House we are all too aware that climate change is real. It is a threat to our entire way of life, particularly life on the land. This is in stark contrast to those opposite, who for so long denied the threat of global warming, denied the existence of climate change and, in the process, held back the wider community’s efforts to adapt. In the meantime, however, it is imperative that governments of all levels do whatever is necessary to support our farmers and the communities which they support.

As at the beginning of August, the Tasmanian and federal government had invested around $4 million in the provision of interest rate subsidy payments to 125 farming businesses under the exceptional circumstances interest rate subsidy. As I mentioned previously, the National Rural Advisory Council will be undertaking a review of the exceptional circumstances declarations later this year to determine whether there is a need for the program to continue beyond the second round. There is a very clear need for that to occur; nothing has changed—it has not rained and farmers and communities can little afford to wait. The Tasmanian government has ongoing water projects and I congratulate it for that. It should be noted, however, that water development is a long-term industry development with many projects some four to six years away. I, like the TFGA, welcome these initiatives but note that farmers need assistance now.

See this speech in context