Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

I appreciate this opportunity to discuss the great things that we are doing in the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources. I note the previous speaker: I always thought he came from a coal-producing area. I thought he believed in his working colleagues in the Hunter Valley, but obviously not. He is swinging with his Green mates. That is good; we will tell them all about it at the next election.

It is very important that we understand exactly where we started with agriculture and water resources back in 2013: the department that was basically on its knees. Its funding had been cut by more than half. We had just come off the back of some catastrophic issues in the agricultural economy, especially in the live cattle trade, and we in the coalition wanted to make sure that we rebuilt this portfolio—that we rebuilt it and then maintained the respect that it deserves as one of the pillars of our economy.

We went into the white paper process and got a substantial funding injection, especially into the crucial areas of biosecurity. We brought forward accelerated depreciation for water reticulation, fencing and fodder storage of 100 per cent over three years.

We got the Farm Management Deposits, which formerly John Anderson had fought a torrid battle for and got through to $400,000. We doubled them to $800,000 and allowed them to be offset against loans on your place—basically giving you a tax deduction to pay off your loan on a place. We know that the best way you can survive on the land is to have strong equity in your business. This was to encourage people, especially young farmers, when they get onto a place—and I can say, as a person whose previous life was as an accountant, 'Pay off your loan; you will survive.' It is the same thing with everything. When you get a good season, jam it against your loan and get a farm management deposit.

We also made sure that we made access to concessional loans--$250 million per year for drought concessional loans. And now, between that and the Dairy Support Package, we have loaned out well in excess of half a billion dollars to close to 1,000 people. We built on that through the last election by announcing the Regional Investment Corporation, which is going to be a facility to assist this—to make it more fluid and to make it work quicker—so that when an issue comes up, and it is for our government or any other government in the future, the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources can act quickly.

We have better country-of-origin labelling that truly identifies where the product is made and what proportion of what is in the packet comes from our nation, because this is what not only the Australian people but also people overseas were asking for. They want to pay a premium for an Australian product but they want to make sure that it is bona fides—that what is in the package is from our nation. With an ACCC commissioner in place, we put $25.8 million towards pest and weed control. Now when we go out we can actually start to see this tactile delivery. We can go out to Cunnamulla and say, 'These are the dog fences for which we have provided money. We now can bring sheep and shearers back into the area and bring commerce back into the area—making people's lives better.'

What is really important is the $2½ billion we put aside for the Water Infrastructure package. I am very frustrated at the moment with one state in particular, Queensland, which has been completely recalcitrant and not playing the game. You give them the money—in excess of $90 million—for feasibility studies but do not see one started. You put $130 million on the table for the Rookwood Weir—it could bring in an extra $1 billion the year and an extra 2300 jobs—and it is something that should be supported. People should get in behind it. Where has the vision that existed with people like Curtin, Chifley and Menzies gone? Why are we so scared of our own shadow? Why don't we get in there and make these things happen?

We have record prices in cattle and in sheep; we are turning around the wool market; the grow contracts are turning around. Pork is at record prices. Our protein grains—chickpeas—are at record prices, but people say, 'What about your wheat market?' I understand that, but that is why we are making sure there is investment in such things as the inland rail to allow intermodal movement.

The other thing that I know the member for Hunter will bring up is the process of decentralisation. We want to create centres of excellence. Just as when the minerals department was moved to Maitland, we are moving RIRDC down to Wagga. At estimates yesterday we saw a $1.2 billion a year saving through this form of decentralisation. The FRDC is going to Adelaide; a section of GRDC is going up to Toowoomba. These are things we want to do because we believe in decentralisation. I look forward to this opportunity to tell the Australian people about the great work we are doing—(Time expired)

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