NSW can expect a ministerial reshuffle soon – but Primary Industries minister Niall Blair says the agriculture portfolio will have to be pried from his hands.
The NSW Nationals’ deputy leader says he’s just getting started in the farm sector – and announced this week his mission to capitalise on ideal economic and seasonal conditions, and government’s ag reform wins from 2016, to provide farm businesses more certainty.
“My attitude is ‘just try and take (Primary Industries) off me’,” Mr Blair said.
If I’m asked - it’s not something that normally happens - I’ll be telling them I want to hang on to Primary Industries. I’ve got a lot of unfinished business in ag and I can’t wait to get into it.
- NSW Nationals deputy leader and Primary Industries minister Niall Blair
“If I’m asked - it’s not something that normally happens - I’ll be telling them I want to hang on to Primary Industries. I’ve got a lot of unfinished business in ag and I can’t wait to get into it.”
A cabinet reshuffle is expected before state parliament resumes in February following a tumultuous year’s end for the Coalition.
The height of the drama came with the resignation of Nationals leader Troy Grant in the wake of the Orange by-election debacle, and the subsequent promotion of Regional Development and Skills Minister John Barilaro to Deputy Premier.
Mr Barilaro said Nationals colleagues had pressed for earlier action on a new-look cabinet, but the deck remained the same over the New Year’s break. Mr Barilaro also said Mr Grant could remain as Police Minister.
Meanwhile the peri-urban fringe is shaping as a key ag battleground in 2017 with Mr Blair keen to put right to farm issues front and centre.
Government has engaged the University of Technology to conduct a right to farm agricultural land use survey that will help inform its direction on protecting legitimate farm businesses from frivolous opposition.
Stage one of the survey was completed last year with eight local councils interviewed about land use conflicts, while a benchmarking survey of all rural councils was also completed. Stage two in 2017 will involve in-depth case studies, before a final survey in 2018. A report on stage one is expected early this year.
Mr Blair said he wanted to counteract increasing “misinformation and scaremongering” towards traditional farming practices from neighbours who don’t like agricultural smells or noise, and other land users who ignore farmers’ advances on social licence issues.
“(A farmer’s right to farm) is certainly is an issue that we’re looking at and I think it is important as a government we clearly support the sector,” Mr Blair said.
“It can be simple as a dairying operation that has been in one spot for generations and people move in nearby and suddenly have a problem with smell and noise. Some of our best dairying country is under pressure from lifestyle blocks - whether that’s on the coastal fringe or on the outskirts of towns.”