Tony Windsor (New England, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and relates to the possible closure by the New South Wales government of the Glen Innes Agricultural Research and Advisory Station, and the issue of soil carbon research. The minister would be aware that there has been a recent flurry of research into soil carbon as a potential aid to reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide. Is the minister aware that the Glen Innes research station has been recording soil carbon levels since 1934, as part of an experiment to develop stable and productive crop rotations? Minister, as this centre is one of a few in the world that have recorded this valuable scientific evidence, could you investigate any possible partnership arrangements at the federal level that may keep this vital resource operating?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for New England for the question, and acknowledge the strong interest in soil carbon that he has had ever since he arrived in this place, particularly the advocacy of no-till and minimum-till farming and the outcome for soil carbon there. I am very happy to investigate the issues that the member for New England has asked about. The government is quite determined to see what can be done in this space of soil carbon. At the ABARE outlook conference earlier this year—which was opened, for the first time ever, by the Prime Minister—I was tasked with commissioning new research and looking at what could be done in furthering the Commonwealth’s involvement with respect to soil carbon.

The climate change research fund, which I had the opportunity to speak about last week—the $46.2 million fund—is one of the mechanisms by which we are doing that, but to the extent that at Glen Innes there is extra information and a depth of knowledge going back to 1934 that would not exist in many places in the world, I am very happy to see if there are ways in which we might be able to work together. Certainly I will be conducting an investigation along the lines requested.