Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is also to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Will the minister update the House on the effects of the latest heatwave in South Australia and south-eastern Victoria?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Kingston for her question. I note that we have now had more than 200 questions in this House, and we are yet to get a single question from that side of the House, including from the Nationals, about anything to do with agriculture—more than 200 questions, and not one about anything to do with agriculture. It is not as if there are not significant issues out there—for example, the issue that I was just asked about by the member for Kingston.

Look at the impact of climate change. I know there is a consensus that has emerged over the last 10 years for those opposite, and it is essentially this: climate change has definitely been happening for the last three months. That is about the level of consensus on climate change. You talk to anyone in South Australia at the moment working the land. They are living climate change. The heatwave that has just been endured has been described and reported today by one scientist as a one-in-3,000-year event.

Barry Haase (Kalgoorlie, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure, Roads and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It’s called weather, not climate change.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Kalgoorlie says, ‘Ah, it’s just the weather.’ Member for Kalgoorlie, come in spinner, because the scientists around the world have acknowledged what I thought the members opposite had at least understood for the last three months.

I had the opportunity to talk to Wayne Cornish, the President of the South Australian Farmers Federation, shortly before question time. He took me through some of the devastation which is being felt through this heatwave. Let us make no mistake: we have just had in South Australia 15 consecutive days at more than 35-degree heat. Wayne Cornish took me through the impact on various industries. There has been significant sunburn on salad vegetables, lettuces and leeks. Because of the nature of that produce, the turnover tends to be quick enough that they will not be as hard hit as others. From the apple and pear growers, for the crops that were still available in that part of horticulture, the image was given of granny smith apples that should at this stage be completely green but, after the last fortnight, are completely brown on one side. But no area has been harder hit than viticulture. The member for Kingston is very much aware of the impact on viticulture in her seat. The wine grape growers who had not yet found space to get to the crushing plants have either seen the crops wither on the vine or are now facing critical sugar levels which they are having to continue to monitor.

Virtually every industry in agriculture is affected. Because the areas affected have already been declared for exceptional circumstances payments, farmers in the worst affected regions are eligible for EC support. They should contact the National Drought Hotline on 132316, and the South Australian Rural Financial Counselling Service is also available.

I met with senior officials from my department today to work out how we can do more to work through not just adaptation but better preparation. We know that on climate change there has been much discussion—

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Urban Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Hunt interjecting

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I acknowledge the member for Flinders—there has been much discussion as though climate change is only about water. It is not just that. An important part of it is an increase in the severity and frequency of major weather events. That is what is happening right now in South Australia. It is tremendously important that both sides of the House live up to the rhetoric that we heard at the National Press Club today and acknowledge that climate change is real and that we as a parliament and we as a government have an obligation to help people working the land to prepare for the future.