With a change in government, the role of NSW Farmers in championing agriculture is more important than ever. NSW Farmers has embraced Labor's election victory as a new opportunity to push for better outcomes for agriculture and regional communities.
Biosecurity needs to be the new government's number one priority, particularly with foot-and-mouth disease and lumpy skin disease detected nearby in Indonesia. We must strengthen our biosecurity controls to meet emergent risks, which according to our chief science agency will only grow worse with time.
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Agriculture has enormous potential to help dig Australia out of the economic hole created by COVID-19. Out of every $7 generated from the state's exports, $1 is from agriculture; and there's potential for even more with the right policy settings in place. With agriculture booming, now is the time to consolidate the sector's strong export position.
The workforce space will be key for this government. Labor's commitment to expanding skills and training will be a win for agriculture. But that is only one part of the picture and industry still needs access to seasonal labour, which the dedicated Agricultural Visa is designed for.
Labor's commitment to outlawing unfair contract terms is a key win for our advocacy in the competition space. We hope to see the full recommendations from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's 2020 inquiry into bargaining power in fresh food supply chains realised under the new government.
With the transition to renewable energy generation underway, farmers should be buoyed by Labor's support of the National Farmers Federation's position on landowner compensation and engagement with respect to land access for this infrastructure. On net zero emissions, Labor has put in place a target of 43 per cent emissions reductions by 2030.
Telecommunications must be a priority for this government. Labor's commitment of $600 million for mobile coverage along roads and $30 million for on-farm connectivity is a promising start.
We look forward to partnering with the new federal government to help realise the potential of agriculture.
- By JAMES JACKSON, NSW Farmers president.
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