Barnaby Joyce (New England, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) | Hansard source

There's a range of things I believe need to be addressed in this. We've just had a 0.6 per cent fall in productivity in Australia, and agriculture has a major part to play if we want to turn that around. That fall was premised before any effects of the Iran crisis came through, so I imagine right now it's worse. I want to know what the current focus of the government is to develop agriculture—where that focus lies and how you're intending to bring it ahead.

I want to know what your current plan is for infrastructure, especially vital infrastructure such as dams. Where do you intend to build them? Do you intend to build any If not, what is your plan for the growing requirements for food security, which is indelibly linked to water security? I want to know how you've been working with industry on a water basis. In certain areas, like the protein hub, which is Tamworth, our biggest issue now is getting hold of water to underpin producers such as Baiada. Their kill rate will be going up to seven million chickens a week. They cannot possibly do it—they cannot employ the 1,400 people who will work there—unless they have access to water. They want to know what the answer is and, to be quite frank, so do I.

I want to know about an issue that is especially pertinent to the cattle industry of Central Queensland, which my colleague the member for Wright would understand. We currently have an incursion of fire ants. If the fire ants get out of the Brisbane area and into Central Queensland—

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