Gavan O'Connor (Corio, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am pleased to rise in the House today along with my parliamentary colleagues from across the political spectrum to endorse the House Standing Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry report Skills: rural Australia’s need. I congratulate fellow members of the committee on their dedicated efforts in producing this report, and members of our secretariat for their professional energy, skill and untiring work in supporting all members throughout the course of this inquiry. This report into skills in the rural sector mirrors the situation that Australia faces in the general economy—that is, Australia needs specific, significant additional investment in education, training, research and skill development if it is to maintain its competitive edge in global agricultural markets in coming decades.

We all know what a highly skilled occupation farming is today. Not only are farmers production specialists in the modern farming environment; they are also required to have significant financial, marketing, mechanical, information technology and land and farm management skills to underpin production activities. That is to name just a few. For farming in Australia to survive in the new millennium we need to farm smarter and, as I mentioned at the press conference, we need smart farmers.

The key to ensuring that our farmers have the skills to become more productive and competitive in these corrupted global markets in the new millennium is to increase our investment as a society in rural research, education and training. That is the central message of this excellent report, Skills: rural Australia’s need. Australian farmers face enormous challenges in coming decades—climate change, radical changes in consumer tastes, energy constraints, corrupted markets, food standards and safety, water and drought issues. They are but a few of those big issues that have to be met head-on by the sector if it is to continue to play a pivotal role in the economic development of rural and regional Australia and the national economy.

The recommendations in this report range from the general to the quite specific, but there are several propositions that underpin them and the report. Firstly, there is a central role for the Australian government in the ongoing development of the rural sector’s skill base, be it in properly funding the education and training efforts of agricultural and other institutions. Secondly, there is a need for a high level of cooperation between the Commonwealth and state and territory governments in the skilling of the sector. Thirdly, the image of agriculture and forestry as sophisticated sectors in the Australian economy in which people can work and make a career needs to be actively promoted right from primary and secondary schooling to ensure a reasonable career interest in this sector from young people. Fourthly, there has to be a substantial increase in investment by the Australian government in rural education and training if the sector is to hold its own in the future.

I direct the House to important recommendations relating to farmers’ access to high-speed broadband, reinvigorating agricultural colleges, the establishment of agricultural courses at Australian technical colleges and the need for a national extension framework, as an indication of the practical measures that are contained in this report that are necessary to enhance and secure the future of agriculture in this country.

In an article in the Financial Review on 24 February 2007 entitled ‘When the farming has to stop’, the writers, Andrew Clark and Angus Grigg, refer to an American geographer, Jared Diamond, who, in his book Collapse, says that the range of problems that could become crippling in other developed economies—overgrazing, salinity, soil erosion, water storages, man-made droughts—have already become severe in Australia. I am sure members could add to the list. It is a chilling assessment, and what will be required in future is for farmers to possess a highly developed skill set just to stay in the game. I hope this report stirs some action in government and the general community in this area, where it is acknowledged the future of family and corporate farming resides in the skills of our Australian farmers.

I congratulate the member for Hume on his chairmanship of this committee. I think he is held in high regard on this side of the House as well as the other, and I congratulate him on his leadership in producing this essential report for Australia’s agricultural community.

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