Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the document.

I stand tonight to speak on the Australian Landcare Council annual report 2006-07 and to share some observations on the recent actions of the Rudd Labor government with respect to Landcare in Tasmania which have been very damaging indeed. The government’s budget cuts have slashed Landcare funding in Tasmania and across the country, but I will focus on what is happening in Tasmania, where the funding for Landcare projects has been slashed by 60 per cent across the state. It is very bad news for Tasmanian farmers and graziers, with a negative impact for rural and regional parts of Tasmania in particular. Federal Labor is providing funding of $119,910 to Landcare projects in the north for this financial year compared to an average of more than $300,000 under the Howard government.

This financial year, the north-west has received about $140,000 and the south has received $223,000. This represents a cut of 60 per cent from their previous funding. It is a body blow to the rural communities in my state of Tasmania, and especially to the volunteers in these different Landcare associations, who have worked so hard to make a difference. Of the 13 submissions received in the north, 11 projects were rejected. This is unusually high. Only two were accepted—Southern Farming Systems and Roberts Wool Link—and I would like to congratulate them on their successful submissions.

In another blow to those working to restore and protect natural resources, the Rudd Labor government has announced a mere $28 million in funding for Landcare projects across the country, which is well down on that planned to be spent by the coalition. So it affects all of the country, but I am focusing particularly on Tasmania. It is not good news.

In the 2007 budget, the coalition committed $112 million to Landcare over the next three years. That is an average of $37 million per year. But the budget papers showed a cut in funding in that respect of 20 per cent. To add insult to injury, those Landcare groups that were successful in this funding round have been told to get their applications in for Open Grants funding. How good is that? What will that be like for those entities? It will pit small, community based landcare groups up against the giants like CSIRO and other federal and state government agencies for the small funding pool available. I put it to the federal Labor government that this is not a good strategy.

The answer to climate change is not just in Mr Rudd’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme but also in tackling the effects of the drought and climate change on the ground. This is the best way to deal with the global food security crisis.

I want to refer to the views of the different Landcare association representatives in Tasmania and also the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association. One of the headings in the Mercury on 26 July stated:

Funding for Tasmanian Landcare projects and jobs has been slashed.

The article continued:

Tasmanian Landcare Association president Lyndley Chopping said yesterday the cutbacks would be extremely disappointing for the state’s community-based Landcare groups.

Mr Chopping said nine Landcare jobs were being made redundant.

Nine jobs have been made redundant as a result of this government’s handiwork. The article continued:

Mr Chopping said projects were already being rejected and future ones were in doubt.

“We are not happy about it,” Mr Chopping said.

Of course they are not happy about it. They have been gutted. These projects have been slashed. The article then quoted Mr Chopping as saying:

“The name Landcare has been built up over a period of years now—and it’s a well respected name—”

We all know that. Everyone in the Senate chamber knows that it is a well respected name. But now they have been gutted. It is bad news. The article went on:

“—and it should not be lost out of the equation,” Mr Chopping said.

…                …              …

Mr Chopping said it would be difficult to keep momentum going for Landcare work, much of which is undertaken by volunteers without adequate funding.

Those are his views. Then you have the views of the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association. Chris Oldfield from the association is worried about it because of the inadequate effort to address the drought problems in Tasmania. He made his views clear in TasCountry and also in the Tasmanian newspapers. He also quizzed Tony Burke, the responsible federal minister. It was said that Tony Burke faced a barrage of questions about his government’s slashing of Landcare funding in Tasmania. Well, of course he did. I am particularly concerned for Don Defenderfer, who has lost his job in Launceston. (Time expired)

Question agreed to.