Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Hansard source

That is what the secretary of your department said in Senate estimates. I am concerned because they are both critical investments for our state and both are needed.

I would like to highlight that state and federal Labor actually developed an economic development plan for the state that some years ago identified the growth that was going to occur in the state, that growth being in agriculture, aquaculture, viticulture and in dairy. Of course, that is when we then invested in the Tasmanian jobs and growth plan and invested in those industries in our state. Indeed, we invested in programs at the Longford strawberry farm. We invested in projects for dairy's sustainable development on the north-west coast. We invested with Reid Fruits so they could get a sorter to get more of their cherries to market faster. We invested in organic juices with Juicy Isle. We invested in Harvest Moon, Greenham, blue onions, Costas—a whole range of investments—because these industries are important to our state and do deserve bipartisan support. They have had that from state and federal Labor in the past, and I would like to see that continue.

We also, of course, invested in funding of a gas extension from Port Latta to Smithton to help reduce business costs for Tasmanian dairy products. McCain and Greenham are also very important companies for which Labor announced that investment some time ago, so it is good to see that that has been delivered. These investments, as I said, do need to be bipartisan, and it is good to see people actually recognising the critical investments that are required and the long-term strategy of investments that are needed for these sectors to grow. I am sure that the following speaker from our side will talk more about the long-term stuff that is required for this such as an agriculture white paper, for which we have now been waiting more than six months.

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