Dick Adams (Lyons, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Standing Committee on Primary Industries and Resources, I present the committee’s report, entitled Farming the Future: the role of government in assisting Australian farmers to adapt to the impacts of climate change, together with the minutes of proceedings and evidence received by the committee.

Ordered that the report be made a parliamentary paper.

This report addresses a matter of great importance to the future of Australia.

Our agricultural industries are facing increasing challenges in the face of climate variability and climate change.

If our farmers are to maintain their productivity into the future, we must start investing now in new and better ways of producing food and fibre.

We must promote sustainability in production and resilience in our farming enterprises and the communities which support them and depend upon them.

During the course of the inquiry, the committee spoke to many people who have the welfare of our farmers at heart.

We were pleased to note the good work being done to create innovation, promote new ideas and improve our understanding of agricultural production and the forces that drive it—economic, environmental and social.

Many government initiatives are promoting innovation and enhancing resilience and this is all good.

We are, however, only at the beginning of a journey which will take many years. Assisting Australian farmers to adapt to the impacts of climate change will take coordinated and sustained effort on the part of government, industry and the community over a period of decades.

The committee had the chance to visit the properties of farmers who are already implementing innovative ways to manage the impacts of climate variability and climate change.

These people are proof that adaptation is possible. There are a range of adaptations that could increase the resilience of farmers in the face of climate variability and climate change.

Many have win-win-win potential in that they improve productivity and environmental sustainability and reduce or mitigate emissions. They also confer social benefits, as improved productivity and sustainability increase personal and community resilience.

However, many of these adaptations are being undertaken by farmers in isolation or with limited support.

Given the potential consequences of climate change, and the potential benefits of many of these adaptations, it would seem that a better coordinated response is required.

One of the potential benefits of changing agricultural practices is soil carbon, which has huge potential as a form of carbon sequestration..

Just as importantly, restoring carbon to our farmlands is vital to soil and plant health. Carbon rich soils improve soil biodiversity and improve soil moisture retention. By rebuilding our soil carbon, we are making our farmers more resilient in the face of climate change.

The evidence received by the committee during the course of its inquiry also demonstrates that climate variability and climate change have the potential to have significant impacts on farming communities from a social and a psychological point of view.

The need to understand the thought processes, social pressures and attitudes that both hinder and promote adaptation are essential parts of the response to climate variability and climate change.

Communicating a clear and consistent message on climate change is a forerunner to successful adaptation and it must be delivered in a manner relevant to the experience of farmers for whom managing climate variability is a long-term and everyday experience.

Part of this is in understanding the decision-making processes of farmers. Another part is the creation of positive messages—how adaptation can improve business resilience, maintain or increase productivity and promote personal and social welfare.

Moreover, strong local networks—supporting farmers and their families, providing access to services and information and providing connections that allow problems to be identified and addressed—are a vital part of the response to climate change in rural Australia.

I would like to express, on behalf of the committee, our gratitude to all those who participated in the inquiry and to the staff of the secretariat.

On behalf of the committee, I commend the report to the House.

See this speech in context