The recent spotlight on the intensifying drought has highlighted again the State Government’s lack of vision for our rural communities.
Agriculture is one of the pillars of the Queensland’s economy and the fastest growing industry in Australia, but appears to be largely forgotten by a State Government focused more on big-spending initiatives in the south-east corner like the Cross River Rail.
We certainly appreciate the mental health funding the Queensland Premier announced last week and the drought assistance they have provided in recent years, but there is so much more the State Government could do to revitalise regional and rural Queensland.
Stored water is a vital resource during drought while also lifting productivity, supporting industry growth and adding consistency and value to products.
With the Federal Government committing an additional $23.7 million for a Great Artesian Basin bore capping program, we would look to the State Government to match these funds, as they have previously, to continue this important work.
We also urge the Queensland Government to work with their Federal counterparts to unlock money for water infrastructure to support agricultural development, especially with another $72 million committed this week. Let’s stop talking about it and finally start building some dams and weirs!
Another area we need more action on is red tape reduction, in particular around transport and environmental regulations. Just at the state level, Queensland agriculture is affected by around 18,000 pages of regulation and more than 75 Acts of Parliament.
The last thing farmers need is more red tape making it harder for them to do their jobs, especially during times of drought, and that’s exactly what the Queensland Government’s new vegetation management laws do.
I firmly believe agriculture has an extremely bright future and our industry can create more jobs and opportunities for Queenslanders, but we need sensible regulations and a supportive vision from our State Government to unlock the industry’s full potential.