Economic development
In 2011 the Bligh Government, through Growth Management Queensland, released a number of documents for public consultation aimed at guiding the future development of stronger regional areas within the state. The documents included the Queensland Regionalisation Strategy, Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Bruce Highway Upgrade Strategy. This consultation process ended in September 2011 and AgForce made a submission on both the Regionalisation Strategy and Infrastructure Plan.
AgForce believed the Regionalisation Strategy draft did little to increase agricultural business confidence or provide a clear strategic direction for regional development that would enable agriculture to meet the Bligh Government’s own vision of a $40 Billion food value chain. The narrow focus of the draft Strategy on the minerals and energy sector was disappointing. AgForce was prepared to partner with the Bligh Government to ensure the regionally-specific needs of the $13.7 billion agriculture and food sector are met appropriately.
As a result of AgForce lobbying, the previous State Government increased focus on the interests of broadacre agriculture in its Regionalisation Strategy – this can be viewed here.
AgForce is also engaging with the new State Government under Campbell Newman on its implementation of bioregional planning, statutory planning for the Darling Downs and Golden Triangle regions and the land capability audit looking at boosting agricultural productivity in the state. It is vital the interests of agriculture are protected in land use planning and AgForce will continue to champion members’ interests in these areas.
Log in as a member (top right screen) to view AgForce's Regionalisation Strategy submission.
National Food Plan Green Paper Submission
AgForce lodged a submission on the Green Paper which detailed policy approaches to achieve AgForce's vision for a food production industry in Australia that is characterised by:
- Businesses that are financially viable and provide sufficient income for reasonable standards of living for producers and their dependents
- Security of property rights (land, water, vegetation, intellectual, etc.)
- Land that is maintaining or improving in sustainability and biodiversity indicators
- Appropriate supporting physical and other infrastructure (transportation, marketing, energy, etc) so as not to limit business performance
- Access to competitive markets for inputs, and domestic and international markets that offer a sustainable return for products
- A flow of information, knowledge and skills development opportunities that enables producers to manage changing circumstances effectively
- Availability of appropriately-skilled labour resources
- Affordable access to social events & opportunities supporting personal wellbeing
- Equity in government service provision for rural and remote areas with the nation's urban population
- Streamlined government regulation and requirements for legislative compliance.
Log in as a member (top right screen) to view AgForce's National Food Plan Green Paper Submission.
AgForce's submission on the draft Queensland Agriculture Strategy
Submissions to the Queensland Government's draft Agriculture Strategy closed Friday 7 December. The strategy is intended to outline how the Government intends to achieve its vision of a doubling of food production by 2040. You can read the draft of Queensland's Agriculture Strategy at www.daff.qld.gov.au/31_22262.htm.
AgForce made a submission to the draft strategy which highlighted that the vision needed to consider not only a doubling of the volume of production but that profitability of producers is an important consideration in reaching that goal.
From AgForce's perspective, economic development involves sustainable improvements in the conduct, growth and organisation of broadacre production in order to achieve improved quality of life for Queensland's primary producers. We suggested that some of the important areas for progress included security of property rights, businesses that are productive and profitable with increasing producer skills and business management capacity, ongoing and expanded market access, and appropriate infrastructure provision.
Log in as a member (top right screen) to view AgForce's Submission.