Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

In 2050, reports indicate that Australia's population could double to reach 39 million or as high as 42 million people. At the same time, the population of Asia will boom as the number of people in the world grows to 9.6 billion human beings. By then, three out of four of the most populated countries will be Asian. Not surprisingly, these include India, China, and our neighbour Indonesia. If assessments prove correct, one of the biggest concerns will be the ability to feed these people and provide the fibres and raw materials to clothe and house them in a sustainable way.

If we act now, Australia has time to improve its position as a significant supplier of food and fibre to the world. I note a comment from Ian Burnett, from Agforce in Queensland, who suggests we cannot grow food as cheaply as other countries with which we will be fiercely competing. But what we can aim for is to supply Asia with food and fibre of a premium quality that attracts 'far better premium prices' than other parts of the world. This is why a major focus on the future potential of northern Australia is so important

I am a supplementary member of the Parliamentary Joint Select Committee on Northern Australia, which is currently looking into the future potential of agriculture north of the Tropic of Capricorn, which runs through my electorate of Capricornia. I am convinced that we have to plan now for the boldest developments in Australia since the Snowy Mountain scheme. This may involve building more dams, opening up land previously locked away and securing water supplies to arid inland areas, some of which may even be desert.

I remind the House, that the ancient Egyptians were able to harness water into the desert and generate their own food bowl to feed their own growing population many thousands of years ago. Right now, researchers at my local university in Rockhampton, CQUniversity, are researching dryland rice cropping for northern Australia without the need for vast irrigation networks or water allocations. CQUniversity, together with Australian Agricultural Technology Limited, are conducting field trials of dryland rice geno-types. These geno-types are showing commercial potential for growing dryland rice varieties in North Queensland during the wet season. This is an area of huge importance for drought-prone Australia and for the entire Asia-Pacific region, as pressures on population and food security increase.

One project local government is pushing for in my area is a previous idea for a Fitzroy agricultural corridor along Queensland's lower Fitzroy River. Reports suggest, if viable, such a project could lead to more feedlots, piggeries and horticulture and vine and vegetable crops, such as citrus, grapes and carrots. But the future may not just be in wide-scale broadacre cropping. It may be in niche areas like gourmet foods that attract premium prices.

Recently, I took the agriculture minister, Barnaby Joyce, to see a hydroponic lettuce farm near Rockhampton which was started by the Wilson family. This small farm operation involves six family members and employs eight other local staff. While you might be thinking that this is not a unique ideal, it is a very unique venture for this arid, hot part of the Tropic of Capricorn. If we are talking about increased food production we have to think outside the box, like the Wilson's, and turn to different types of farming methods to make use of difficult landscapes. The Wilsons now supply Coles, Woolworths and IGA with gourmet lettuce. Developing northern Australia will take bold thinking and bold decision making, but it must be done and this government must be at the forefront of getting on with the job.

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