Alex Gallacher (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Ludwig. Can the minister please update the Senate on the work the Gillard government is doing to support farmers to participate in domestic and global carbon markets?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Gallacher for his question and his interest in agriculture, unlike those opposite. The Gillard government Carbon Farming Initiative is in place and underway. It is good news for farmers and other landholders across rural and regional Australia. It is delivering real differences in rural communities, who know that the threat of climate change is real for Australian agriculture. It will open up opportunities for farmers to create new streams of revenue while at the same time reducing their own and the nation's carbon emissions.

Across the country, regional Landcare facilitators have been engaged in training which will equip them to go into regional committees and deliver the CFI. The facilitators are training to gain the tools they can use to communicate the opportunities under the CFI to farmers and land managers. The facilitators will soon commence their work with landholders and farmers to identify opportunities for a clean energy future. The regional Landcare facilitators will use their network to engage with the farming community to provide information to farmers in their regions on how they can benefit under the initiative.

Some of the possible carbon farming projects cover a wide range of activities right across the landscape, including manure management, fertiliser management, reduced livestock emissions, soil, carbon and reafforestation. Many of these projects will have multiple benefits for farmers, not only generating income but improving the health and productivity of their land.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is unfortunate that those opposite seem to be interjecting in complaint when they could be encouraging farmers and landholders to engage in a clean energy future, to engage in how they can assist and how they can— (Time expired)

Alex Gallacher (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister please outline to the Senate the benefits for farmers under the Carbon Farming Initiative?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Gallacher for his supplementary question. As I have already indicated, the Carbon Farming Initiative will deliver real benefits to farmers. Senators—on this side, at least; maybe not on that side—will be interested to know that the National Farmers Federation has expressed its support for the Carbon Farming Initiative. The NFF President, Mr Jock Laurie, has said:

The NFF has been broadly supportive of the concept and intent of the CFI from the outset as positive recognition of the major role agriculture can play in mitigating carbon emissions through on-farm management.

The NFF went on to say:

... with a continued focus on productivity-based research and the development of methodologies underpinning abatement projects, we hope that the CFI can mature to draw a meaningful contribution to Australia's carbon mitigation effort.

Those in the rural and regional areas are on board. Those opposite are still stuck in the past. (Time expired)

Alex Gallacher (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister please inform the Senate about any risks posed to the Carbon Farming Initiative or any similar initiatives?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Gallacher for his second supplementary question. The Gillard government is deeply committed to taking action on climate change and providing opportunities to farmers. The passing of the Carbon Farming Initiative also demonstrates that the government is getting on with the job of tackling climate change, looking to a clean energy future. The challenge for those opposite will be to put aside, in the national interest, their repetitive negativity and join in the process. The Gillard government supports and will continue to support farmers and landholders. Those opposite seem to be stuck in only saying no, no and more no and just paying lip-service to farmers. The Liberals and Nationals are content to ignore the potential benefits of the Carbon Farming Initiative to farmers and land users. As they ignore the benefits, they also ignore the science and they also do not want to deal with clean energy— (Time expired)