Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Apologies, Minister—I do not think I was clear in my question. I understand that all of that information exists. I am trying to determine whether, regardless of the rainfall in an area where a carbon sink forest is going, you will require an entitlement even if there is not a need to irrigate. I imagine that in some areas where there is a high enough rainfall it would be quite possible for a landholder to put in a carbon sink that would not actually require irrigation or the need for an entitlement. I am trying to ascertain what the arrangements would be where the rainfall itself is appropriate to deliver the water necessary for the establishment of that carbon sink forest.

Second to that, we are often asked very common-sense questions by farmers. I had one the other day from a farmer who runs a 1,500-acre farm near where I live, between Young and Cowra. This follows on from Senator Milne talking earlier about the fact that these very sensible questions are coming from farmers on the ground. This farmer put to me: ‘In terms of my farm, with all of the increased costs which are going to arise because of the increased inputs for me’—which you have outlined, Minister, so I understand you have a rough idea per acre of how that would work—‘how many acres of trees would I have to plant to offset the increase in my costs from the inputs?’