Bob Katter (Kennedy, Katter's Australian Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, over 25,000 square kilometres in north-west Queensland, Australia's cattle heartland, is now overrun by the prickly acacia weed tree. In contrast, buffel grass now covers vast tracts of what were once barren wastelands. Buffel is restoring riverbanks and deepening streams, many of which are now flowing again. Wouldn't you agree, then, with prominent Queenslander and AgForce president Shane McCarthy, a fifth-generation farmer, that only a government official cloistered in the Canberra kindergarten could ban buffel grass? For heaven's sake, Minister, will you put a stop to this urgently, otherwise won't you preside over a seven per cent drop in Australia's fifth-largest export industry, beef?

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Kennedy, genuinely, for his interest in this issue. He has raised it with me personally, and I am well aware of it. He also understands how critical the beef industry is to Australia. It is a very significant industry. Just a few weeks ago we had a conversation about the buffel grass. On the matter of buffel grass raised by the member, what I would say is that we recognise that buffel grass is a valuable pasture for cattle in northern Australia, particularly in Queensland and the Northern Territory. The process that is under way is identifying national weed priorities and it's assessing the buffel grass in targeted areas where there is potential adverse environmental impact, such as in national parks.

Any recommended management action would not adversely affect buffel grass in agricultural production areas where it's deliberately planted, not considered a weed, and continues to provide benefit to livestock. Any future decisions on weed priorities, including a decision on this particular one, would be made collaboratively by all state and territory governments along with the Commonwealth, because, as the member will be aware, states and territories are responsible for the management of pests and weed invasions in their local jurisdictions.

The member will also understand that this industry is significant for regional jobs across Australia and for our national economy as well, and we do understand the importance of the beef industry that the member referred to, and the need to seize the opportunities that are there for the beef industry. As the member would know, I have been up to Beef Australia in the great state of Queensland—his home state—as has our assistant minister. Indeed, in the last budget we provided $12 million for Beef2027.

Beef is, as was quite rightly pointed out, a significant export for Australia; indeed, it's our most valuable agriculture export. Beef exports are currently up 62 per cent since we came to government to $16 billion last financial year. It's a significant industry that we value and that we are working with to ensure it reaps the opportunities of the hard work it has been putting into providing a great Australian product and exporting it across the globe.