Perin Davey (NSW, National Party, Shadow Minister for Water) Share this | Hansard source

As I was saying before debate was suspended, it is pleasing to see that the Labor government have finally brought in a bill and measures that will actually have positive outcomes for our agricultural industries, which provide such an important role in our export markets and underpin our economy. As I was pointing out, when we were in government, the Liberals and the Nationals undertook a lot of programs to expand our agricultural market access, to create new markets for agricultural industries, to support agricultural and export entrepreneurs to establish their businesses, to seek out markets, and to do that very important fundamental work that we have progressed. This bill will help streamline the red tape that is currently costing our export businesses. By reducing red tape, by streamlining processes and by making market information more accessible when it's needed instead of creating delays, we will be able to be that export producer of first preference. This will be of benefit to our many trusted and valued export partners that we work with across the board.

I highlighted earlier in my speech the fact that Labor have made life in the regions very difficult. They have created a lot of impediments in a lot of our agricultural industries. We have seen the negative outcomes from things like offset provisions which mean that, particularly in Western Australia, we are seeing agricultural land bought up and planted to trees rather than being kept in production. We are seeing proposed changes to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan to allow more water to be stripped from agricultural industries, which harms and damages not only those irrigation-dependent communities but also our export produce. I highlight as one key example our rice industry, which feeds about 50 million people per year. We have the largest rice mill in the Southern Hemisphere in my hometown of Deniliquin, which produces and packages rice purely for export. But by stripping water out of the consumptive pool, you put at risk that whole industry, that whole mill and milling operation, and the customers that purchase that rice. That rice goes throughout the Asia-Pacific region, and rice is a staple.

We need to really look at all of the policies that are brought forward by this government and the impacts and flow-on impacts they have. We will be monitoring the implementation of this bill as it goes forward to make sure that it is actually achieving the goal of reducing red tape, streamlining processes and making market access better, more efficient and easier. We will monitor it, but we do thank the government for bringing forward this bill. We will be supporting this bill in this chamber. On that note, I thank you for the opportunity.