ERGON has submitted to the Queensland Competition Authority electricity tariff review that its large business, farming and irrigation customers will not be prepared for the implementation of new electricity tariffs by July 1, 2012. The electricity provider has proposed that customers changing to a significantly different tariff structure which would involve meter changes will require up to two years to assess new meter data on use to determine the most suitable tariff. Ergon also wants more time to work with large business and farming customers on the impacts of meter changes and will be required to make significant system and business changes to implement tariff reforms.

These issues reflect advice QFF is receiving from member industries regarding the recommended tariffs. This advice is pointing to uncertainty regarding the significant increases in off peak electricity rates in comparison to reductions in peak rates which could impact on the implementation of costly water use efficiency improvements in irrigation.  Also larger electricity users such aquaculture operations and processing enterprises could face large increases in fixed charges if they remain on QCA recommended tariffs. QQFF President Joanne Grainger wrote on the impact of the electricity review in last week’s Queensland Country Life, and the column is available here.

NEW COMMISSION TO WORK ON CSG ISSUES

THE State government has moved swiftly and decisively to fulfil its election commitment of establishing a Gasfields Commission in relation to the CSG industry.  The Commission will be based at Toowoomba and will aim to strike a balance between the interests of landholders, local community groups and the environment. The group will comprise of former AgForce president John Cotter and six other commissioners to represent the community. QFF welcomes the genesis of this commission and looks forward to working with it and the government to advocate for the best possible outcomes for farmers in relation to the rapidly expanding gas industry. QFF’s press release welcoming the Commission and Mr Cotter’s appointment as chair is available here.

            Nominations are now being sought for the six commissioner positions, with persons sought to have skills in land management; gasfield and landholder negotiations; CSG industry; legal with experience with CSG; land valuation; community development; finance and business. Persons interested are invited to submit their Resume (marked confidential) by May 25, 2012 to: Mr John Cotter, Chairman of the Gasfields Commission; PO Box 102, Toowoomba 4350 or via email to gasfieldcommission@qld.gov.au.

            In addition, the commission is seeking community feedback on the functions and powers of the commission. Feedback should be two to three pages and in writing with the author’s name and contact details. Submissions should be sent to the above postal or email address.

LABOR PARTY ANNOUNCES SHADOW MINISTRY

THE State Labor party has announced its range of shadow spokespeople, led by Inala MP Annastacia Palaszczuk. Ms Palaszczuk has the portfolios of Attorney-General, Justice and Industrial Relations; Education, Training and Employment; Tourism, Small Business, Major Events and Commonwealth Games; the Arts. Tim Mulherin is the Deputy Opposition Leader and responsible for State Development, Infrastructure, Planning and Racing; Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry; Local Government; Science, IT and Innovation. Curtis Pitt, Jo-Ann Miller, Desley Scott and Bill Byrne share the remaining shadow portfolios.

            With the sheer workload ahead of these MPs, it will be a massive undertaking for them in the months and years ahead to ensure that they can form an effective opposition which, ultimately, will be an important part of the Newman Government being effective in itself. Meanwhile, the Australian Party has issued this press release stating that the resources for opposition (such as staff) should be shared among all the non-government MPs, given the small number of Labor members in the Parliament.

QLD MURRAY-DARLING CONSULTATIVE GROUP MEETS

THE Minister for Natural Resources and Mines, Andrew Cripps, met with his Department’s strategic consultative group for the Queensland Murray-Darling catchments on April 17 to discuss the response to the Murray Darling Basin proposed Plan. The meeting was attended by representatives from irrigation areas and local governments in the Queensland Murray Darling catchments together with peak industry, environment and State Government agency representatives.

It was clear from the briefing that the Minister was well informed of the issues and would not be supporting the targets proposed in the Plan until he had more advice on environmental water needs and the targets for each of the Queensland Murray-Darling catchments.  He also had concerns about the implications of the Plan for irrigation communities and the costs of implementation of the proposed Plan. Members of the Committee had the opportunity to raise their issues, which confirmed that the issues raised by the Minister were priorities for attention. The Committee confirmed that there was a commitment to the implementation of reforms through local representative groups in areas such as the Lower Balonne, Border Rivers and Condamine.

NATHAN DAM STILL INCHING TOWARD REALITY

SUNWATER is due to today release the Environmental Impact Statement for the Nathan Dam, which would be located on the headwaters of the Dawson River near Taroom and able to provide water downstream the northern-flowing river for mines and irrigation communities around Theodore and other towns. The dam has been the subject of ongoing delays and frustrations over many decades. Irrigators and potential irrigators on the river will be looking forward to progress of the dam and the potential it would be create – but they will not be holding their breath. The EIS will be on the SunWater website.

RELEASE OF REPORT ON THE REVIEW OF THE CARING FOR OUR COUNTRY INITIATIVE

LAST week the Australian Government released a review into its flagship natural resource management initiative Caring for our Country, which has sought to see environmental and productive land sustainably managed. The initiative commenced in July 2008 and the first phase is scheduled to end in June 2013.The report to ministers reviews the initiative ahead of Australian Government consideration of future directions for natural resource management programs. QFF will be following the recommendations as it is critical that investment in agriculture and natural resource management programs are not slashed in the upcoming Federal budget and future budgets.  The government must continue the next phase of natural resource management delivery by continuing to fund Caring for Country to secure a healthier environment that works in synergy with productive landscapes.

REVIEW OF VEGETATION CLEARING ENFORCEMENT PROCESSES

THE Queensland Government is reviewing investigation and enforcement processes for alleged illegal vegetation clearing under the Vegetation Management Act 1999. This means that current investigations of individuals and businesses for alleged breaches of the VMA will be put on hold for a short period until completion of a review of penalty process. The government will withdraw an existing appeal seeking an increase in penalty, launched under the former Department of Environment and Resource Management. Landholders considering clearing vegetation should first check the Department of Natural Resources and Mines’ online vegetation maps at www.nrm.qld.gov.au, which also features information about the types of clearing allowable.

MEMBER NEWS

COTTON AUSTRALIA LODGES SUBMISSION TO MDBA

COTTON Australia has lodged its submission with the Murray Darling Basin Authority on the Proposed Basin Plan. Cotton Australia’s National Water Policy Manager Michael Murray said the submission focused largely on the lack of specific environmental objectives, and the need to put a process in place to ensure that the proposed review had a real opportunity for local input and allowed for the implementation and recognition of non-water solutions to identified environmental problems. “What we have in this deeply flawed proposed plan is a pre-determined amount of environmental water requirement, with no information on what the water is to achieve, how it will achieve it, and how we will know whether it has been achieved; yet the Australia government wants taxpayers to invest $10 billion into it,” Mr Murray said. It is available here.

OTHER NEWS

QRAA NEWSLETTER AVAILABLE

QRAA has released the latest version of its Prime Focus newsletter here.  It features information on First Start and Sustainability Loans; NDRRA assistance available for disaster recovery; news from regional Client Liaison Officers; and messages from local heroes.

In a draft determination released last month, the QCA has proposed a number of changes to tariffs, in an attempt to move electricity price increases in line with the costs of producing and supplying electricity.

The report recommends that a number of tariffs currently in use by farmers have been made obsolete or significantly changed.

In many cases, farmers have geared their farms and business models around these tariffs, so switching to new tariffs will present significant challenges for their businesses, principally via increased electricity costs.

For example, the current tariff 62 is suited for farms with night or weekend electricity use and it is recommended to be replaced by tariff 22. The result of this change for irrigators could be a jump in 72 percent for off-peak charges for a meagre incentive of two cents per kilowatt hour compared to a daytime rate.

For the similar tariff 62, the increase in on-peak charges would be 39pc, for the same small saving.

Neither of these situations would encourage energy and water use efficiencies. For instance, a farm that has moved toward modern irrigation infrastructure such as drip systems to run at night would have made such a substantial investment considering the savings of off-peak electricity use.

Other irrigation systems can also be more water efficient by running at night.

So for farmers to be pushed toward electricity tariffs that steer them away from efficient farm operation is a drastic disruption to their business and is a bad policy outcome all round.

Near Mackay, the Pioneer Valley Water Cooperative does significant pumping at night to supply their cane farmer customers.  They advise their off peak rates could increase by 82 percent, which will have to be passed on to farmers as a further disincentive for farmers to make use of off peak rates.

This price impact will be felt in the major irrigation schemes operated by SunWater in Bundaberg, Mareeba, Burdekin and many other areas across the state. Typically around a quarter of an irrigation water service provider’s costs are electricity and these are passed on to customers including farmers.

These are precisely the types of outcomes that the QCA and the new government should be looking to avoid at all costs.

QFF’s investigations of the QCA recommendations highlight deeper concerns about the impact of the tariffs for larger businesses. Very intensive farms (such as prawn farms) or very large irrigation farms (such as sugarcane properties) could also be severely impacted by changes to tariff 43.

These farms that can use from 400 up to over 900 megawatt hours of electricity face increases in their fixed demand charges of 75% to nearly $25.90 per kW per month.

While we are still working to determine the precise impacts, we can expect that these increases will also affect larger SunWater irrigation schemes and also major processors of agriculture primary production.

There is a very real risk that some farms and associated processing enterprises would not survive under such a drastic cost increase.

Therefore we see it as a matter of urgency that QCA must assess the potential impacts of the recommended tariffs on large farming operations before any decisions are made in regard to the recommended tariffs.

To worsen matters, rural industry had been given just two weeks to make formal submissions which closed on 13^th April. This was always a completely inadequate time frame in which to form a detailed analysis of the various tariff changes and scenarios that could unfold across complex and diverse farms and farming system. QCA is to make a determination on the final tariffs by 31^st May.

QFF has played a lead role in coordinating the response from our member industries and we already know that the impacts will be severe for many and, for some, potentially ruinous.

THE Newman Ministry was last week sworn in for official duties, including 19 Ministers and 11 Assistant Ministers. Parliament is due to resume in mid-May. While it is expected to take some time for the new government to settle into a routine and for the full details of machinery of government to be revealed, QFF will be making it a high priority to meet with the relevant Ministers on issues relevant to the Queensland intensive agriculture sectors.

ARROW ENERGY EIS INFORMATION SESSIONS

QFF last week met with other farm industry organisation stakeholders regarding the Arrow Energy Surat Gas project Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and other coal seam gas issues. The meeting gathered representatives from QFF, Cotton Australia, Central Downs Irrigators, Basin Sustainability Alliance and AgForce. QFF will continue working with these groups to provide a submission to the EIS.

            Arrow is holding community information sessions on the Surat Gas project. The community information sessions are on from Monday April 30 to Thursday May 10. Drop-in informal sessions are being held from April 17 to April 20 and from May 29 to June 1. More details are available on the Arrow website.

ANALYSIS OF QCA ELECTRICITY TARIFF RECOMMENDATIONS

QFF is continuing to work with its members to investigate the implications of the recently recommended tariffs by the Queensland Competition Authority (QCA). Key issues emerging are as follows:

• There are significant increases in the costs of electricity in off peak periods for time-of-use tariffs. This is a significant issue across most irrigation industries.  Implementation of these recommendations by the Queensland Government will discourage significant off-peak use of irrigation water. It will also substantially increase electricity costs for irrigators and for irrigation water providers like SunWater and Pioneer Valley Water with a subsequent impact on irrigation water prices.
• QCA will allow two tariffs (Tariff 37 and Tariff 66) to continue for a further 12 months in recognition of the significant adjustments farmers on theses tariffs will need to make.  However in both cases charges will increase by 20 percent for the transition period as a step to the higher recommended tariff.
• QCA has concluded that the increases as a result of changes to all other tariffs used by farmers are not ‘of sufficient size to impose unmanageable impacts on affected customers’.
• Large electricity users such as aquaculture farms are expected to face increases of 7.7 percent or $38,530 per year based upon QCA estimates. The impacts on large aquaculture farms are expected to be much more significant.
• Implementation of new tariff changes will require metering upgrading to adjust for changes to tariff requirements, eg. shifts in peak/off-peak periods.  It is unclear at this stage what the cost implications of these changes will be.

QCA has determined electricity prices and associated tariffs on the basis of an assessment of the costs of transporting electricity through transmission and distribution networks, costs of purchasing energy and the coats of retailing supply. QCA had to estimate costs because of data deficiencies. The closing date for submissions is April 13.

IRAQ WHEAT DEBT RECOVERED

FARMERS who grew wheat and sold through AWB in the late 1980s and 1990 could be eligible for small payments of funds recovered after Iraq originally defaulted on its debt for the wheat. The funds are being administered by Ferrier Hodgson and more details are available here.

QLD MURRAY-DARLING CONSULTATIVE GROUP MEETS

THE Department of Environment and Resource Management convened a meeting by teleconference of its strategic consultative group for the Queensland Murray-Darling catchments last week. The meeting discussed progress regarding the Murray Darling Basin Plan. The Group includes representatives from irrigation areas and local governments in the Queensland Murray Darling catchments together with peak industry, environment and State Government agency representatives. Participants at the meeting expressed concern that there had been little consultation since January and submissions on the Plan were due by April 16.  Members particularly wanted to know what the Queensland Government’s position would be in response to the Plan.  It was agreed that the Group needed to meet with the Minister for Natural Resources and Mining as soon as possible to discuss key issues for the Queensland Murray-Darling catchments.

CARBON FARMING HANDBOOK

THE Federal Government has released a Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) handbook, available at the Department of Climate Change website here. The 44 page document explains some of the eligible activities under the CFI, the methodologies with which they are assessed, and the steps that farmers could take toward making activities eligible.

While the guide is a practical step toward explaining the CFI, the complexity of the information that it contains demonstrates that the government has a very long road ahead in terms of explaining the CFI, making it accessible to farmers, seeing it adopted, and ensuring that it creates real and measurable outcomes that do not have the perverse impact of constricting food and fibre production.

MEMBER NEWS

COTTON PICKING UNDERWAY AGAIN IN QUEENSLAND

CLEAR skies and dry warm weather has seen the delayed cotton picking season kick off again around Central Queensland. Cotton Australia estimates about half of the crop around Emerald was harvested before wet weather brought picking to a halt last week. Cotton Australia CEO Adam Kay says the continued overcast conditions and prolonged rain since

January is likely to have an adverse impact on the crop. “As a consequence of what has turned out to be a very average year weather wise, the yield from those crops already taken off could only share that description as average.” Further south at Theodore the same story of weather delays has seen picking resume with renewed hopes of a successful harvest following two years of devastating flooding for some cotton growers. Around St George about 20 percent of the crop has been picked with the majority of harvesting operations likely to kick off in the week after Easter. Mr Kay says this is the business end of the year for the cotton industry and there will be a lot of activity and heavy vehicle movements on rural roads during picking time. “We really appreciate the tolerance and understanding of our fellow road users as we safely move our vital picking equipment from farm to farm.”

OTHER NEWS

COUNTING DOWN TO THE QLD STATE LANDCARE CONFERENCE

QUEENSLAND Water and Land Carers (QWaLC) will be jointly hosting the 2012 Qld State Landcare Conference with Landcare Queensland this year at the Brisbane Convention Centre. The conference is June 28, 29, and 30. The theme this year is ‘Paddocks, Backyards and Balconies ….Together, making a difference’. The conference has much on offer with practical and interactive field trips in the Southeast Queensland area, highlighting the great work that is going on in this part of the state. For those looking to participate either through volunteering or attending visit the conference website for details.

THE Murray Darling Basin Authority last week explained its ‘current thinking’ on the draft Basin Plan, ahead of its release in November, and Authority chair Craig Knowles has added to that with a YouTube explanation here. Of note is the approach of having 2015 as a benchmarking year, whereby water cuts are assessed and benchmarked in terms of social and environmental impact and considered in context of meeting the final sustainable diversion limits for 2019. QFF welcomes Mr Knowles’ localism approach and an effort being made to ensure efficient use of environmental water. We note however that there will be community concern that the benchmarking year could drag the uncertainty out further, as farmers and communities await to hear what the final cuts would be. Uncertainty over the Basin Plan and its cuts is continuing to impact farmers and communities, and therefore QFF will be looking for the draft Plan to deliver a clear outline of what is intended in coming years. The individual circumstances of that year – drought, flood, or even global financial turmoil – could also muddy the waters in terms of assessing both the environmental and social impacts of water cuts.

Farmers and regional communities will not accept an approach that simply delivers similar water cuts to those proposed in last year’s Guide, but in smaller pieces over several years. In that instance, the resulting socio-economic impact would be equally as disastrous as the original numbers put forward in the Guide last year.

WETTER AND HOTTER SEASON TIPPED FOR QUEENSLAND

THE Bureau of Meteorology has released its outlook for northern Australia between now and January 2012. It is predicting a wetter season is more likely over northern Australia, with a warm Indian Ocean the main contributor to this wet outlook. Rainfall probabilities in terms of the probability of exceeding media rainfall are detailed in the map below.

Meanwhile, the northern Australian temperature outlook for November to January 2012 shows warmer days are more likely over the far northern tropics, and warmer nights are likely for southern Queensland. The chance that the average November to January maximum temperature will exceed the long-term median maximum temperature is between 60 and 70% over the Top End of the NT and Cape York Peninsula. The chance that the average minimum temperature for November to January will exceed the long-term median minimum temperature is between 60 and 75% across central and southern Queensland, with the highest odds occurring in southern Queensland.

STRATEGIC CROPPING LAND PROTECTION NOW A STEP CLOSER

MINISTER for Natural Resources, Rachel Nolan, has introduced the Strategic Cropping Land Bill 2011 to State Parliament, marking an important milestone on the path to protecting Queensland’s finite soil resources for the long term. QFF has been actively involved in the negotiations in seeing the legislation reach this point, and views it as a very important day for Queensland farmers. However, it is also worth noting that the specifics surrounding the protection of SCL are not yet set in stone, and there is work to be done in better defining our diverse range of soils and farming systems, many of which are highly productive. In addition, the SCL Bill is not an absolute circuit breaker that will end the tension that is continuing between rural communities and the rapid expansion of the mining industry.

However, this legislation is an enormous policy step toward providing a safety net for our best farming land, which is something that is being recognised by all political parties and increasingly by urban communities.

It is also worth noting that the legislation was introduced in the same week that the Government announced record resources exploration investment of $1.126 billion in Queensland. Mining Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said Queensland was on track to meet an election commitment to make Queensland the ‘greenfield’ exploration capital of Australia by 2020. This record investment is another reminder of why there has been such an urgent need for SCL legislation, why it will require ongoing work and refinement in the future, and why it needs support from all sides of politics.

FIRST NATIONAL WATER ACCOUNTS ARE RELEASED

THE Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) this week released the first set of National Water Accounts which include the accounts for the Murray-Darling Basin and South East Queensland. BOM is required under the Commonwealth Water Act 2007 to publish annual accounts that will eventually cover all regions in Australia. The national annual water account is aimed to provide a ‘national picture of water resources management for the past year’ and answer questions about changes to water inflows, outflows and storages, water access entitlements, water management plans, water use and trading and water made available for the environment. The area of interest in this first report for the Murray Darling Basin is the section which outlines information on surface and approximate groundwater entitlements and the statements of water assets and liabilities and physical inflows and outflows of water across the Basin. The South East Queensland accounts do not provide the same level of information with most sections providing only written descriptive material. These accounts have room for significant improvement but provide now a consistent set of data on water set within a formal accounting framework. The regional accounts do not yet provide data on water trading and environmental water. It will be interesting to see whether there will be any information provided on how much it costs to provide and maintain these accounts. The National Accounts can be accessed here. BOM will be conducting information sessions over the coming weeks in all capitals. The Brisbane briefing is on November 10 from 9am.

NATIONAL WATER COMMISSION WORKSHOP ON FUTURE WATER REFORM ISSUES

THE National Water Commission conducted a workshop in Brisbane last week to give an outline of project initiatives conducted in recent years and to get feedback on important issues for the future implementation of the National Water Initiative. Topics addressed during the workshop included better aligning water planning with catchment planning, activities that intercept surface and groundwater, opportunities to improve water planning and the eWater integrated river basin modelling system. The workshop discussed a number of priority issues for attention in the future including interception activities, coal seam gas water regulation and management, urban water issues and improved engagement and monitoring. QFF attended the workshop together with representatives from other stakeholder groups and State departments.

MEMBER NEWS

COTTON FLOOD FUND BRINGS RELIEF TO GROWERS

COTTON growers adversely affected by last summer’s floods are eligible to apply for assistance through the cotton industry flood relief fund. The Cotton Flood Relief Fund was kicked off by a $2 million contribution from Monsanto, with other cotton growers and industry groups also contributing. The main aim of this fund was to deliver targeted assistance via a simple process, without being tied up in complex paperwork and formality, with financial support given to those growers who can demonstrate severe production losses. The financial assistance available will be to help in purchasing planting seed for the 2011/2012 crop, based on production impacts calculated on area planted. Applications are open until November 25, and forms are available at www.cottonaustralia.com.au.

CANEGROWERS SEEKS DELAY IN ROLLING OUT REGULATION AUDITS

CANEGROWERS has sought a delay in the roll out of regulation audits by the State Government. According to peak group, growers are still battling to get on top of farm maintenance following the damage caused by the worst season on record last year, followed by floods, cyclones and more floods, and just don’t need the additional layer of pressure of regulation audits right now. The Queensland Government last week announced plans to kick start a hefty schedule of reviews of cane properties this month, but according to CANEGROWERS, growers have their hands full dealing with the fall-out from two of the worst seasons on record, and four months breathing space would make all the difference. “A decision to delay the audit process by the government would be a clear signal to cane growers that government understands the massive impact of the weather on our industry, and that they are prepared to take that into account during these toughest seasons on record,” CANEGROWERS CEO, Steve Greenwood, said.

MALAYSIAN IMPORTS MAY THREATEN LOCAL PINEAPPLE CROPS

MALAYSIAN pineapple imports may threaten the iconic Queensland industry through the introduction of a major disease known as bacterial fruit collapse. The Australian Government recently released a draft import risk assessment (IRA) for de-crowned Malaysian pineapples which allows relatively unrestricted access for Malaysian pines and has not recommended any quarantine protocols for this serious disease. Rachel Mackenzie, Growcom Chief Advocate, said that industry was greatly concerned that fruit collapse, which causes losses of up to 60 per cent of the Malaysian pineapple industry, was not considered a high risk to the Queensland industry. “The draft IRA does concede that there is a possibility that some Malaysian pineapples will bring this disease into Australia but argue that once it is here it is unlikely to spread,” Ms Mackenzie said. “The argument seems to be based on a number of flawed assumptions both about the nature of pineapple growing itself and characteristics of the disease.” As well as the issue of fruit collapse, Growcom is concerned that the Malaysian pineapple industry continues to use chemicals that are not registered in Australia. “The Malaysian industry uses the fungicide benomyl to treat pineapples, which is no longer used in Australia due to its link with birth defects.”

NATION’S BEST SEAFOOD BUSINESSES SECURE BRAGGING RIGHTS AT ANNUAL AWARDS

From research and development to restaurants, business and training, the Australian seafood industry honoured its most successful stakeholders last week at its annual awards ceremony on the Gold Coast. The gala awards evening at Gold Coast Convention Centre also capped off the seafood industry’s biennial annual three day conference, Seafood Directions 2011. Nine category winners were named from a field of 49 finalists. The winners from nine categories were spread across Australia with Tasmania taking home three gongs for training, business and young achievers, Queensland two for restaurant and research and development while Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia each claimed one. In Queensland, Gold Coast Marine Aquaculture won the Research and Development Award; Morgans Seafood and Teppanyaki Room won the seafood restaurant award.

Meanwhile, Seafood Directions opened off its three day conference earlier last week with the unveiling of Australia’s largest ever prawn cocktail. Branded, the Great Queensland Prawn Cocktail, the giant size entree was spearheaded by the Australian Prawn Farmers Association (APFA), in conjunction with the wild caught prawn sector’s Australian Council of Prawn Fisheries (ACPF) and Queensland Seafood Marketers Association (QSMA). The cocktail comprised 60 kilograms of prawn tails derived from both wild catch and aquaculture sectors. Other ingredients comprised 120 iceberg lettuces, 60 litres of cocktail sauce that together with the prawns, were displayed in a custom-made metre tall glass weighing in 48 kilograms.

CANEGROWERS WELCOMES MODERNISED BIOSECURITY BILL

CANEGROWERS has welcomed the introduction of the Queensland Government’s Biosecurity Bill as an important step forward for the State’s biosecurity. The legislation was introduced into Parliament by Queensland Agriculture Minister Tim Mulherin and will bring together seven separate biosecurity-focussed Acts. CANEGROWERS CEO Steve Greenwood said the industry has welcomed the release of the Bill, saying it would help to modernise and streamline biosecurity. “Pest and disease outbreaks are a constant concern for Australia’s primary industries,” he said. “We are hopeful the release of this Bill will further strengthen the coordinated industry and government response to future biosecurity challenges.”

COTTON AUSTRALIA: QUEENSLAND STRATEGIC CROPPING LAND LEGISLATION OFF TARGET

THE introduction of Strategic Cropping Land (SCL) legislation into the Queensland Parliament will hardly give the rapidly expanding minerals and energy sector a moment’s pause as they continue to encroach on prime agricultural land. Cotton Australia’s Queensland Policy Manager Michael Murray says the SCL legislation is too narrowly focused with too many exemptions and transitional arrangements for it to have any real impact or offer any significant protection for high value agricultural land. “The Government has the right general idea, but this legislation won’t save our prime farmland unless the scope is widened to consider the impact on water resources from coal seam gas (CSG) developments, along with the adverse potential from underground mine subsidence,” Mr Murray said. “Coal companies can simply sidestep SCL by changing from an open cut to an underground extraction process. But out of sight isn’t out of mind and subsidence from underground mining could cause massive disruption for precision irrigation farming systems above.” He said the criteria for SCL protection from CSG developments was focused solely on soils, and did not give any consideration to the possible impacts CSG production could have on the State’s water resources which play a critical role in its food and fibre production. “CSG extraction poses a significant risk to our water resource, and yet SCL will do nothing to stop CSG extraction on some of the State’s best farming land that also overlays highly productive water resources such as the Condamine Alluvium,” he said.

OTHER NEWS

QRITC AWARDS DECEMBER 1, 2011

THE Queensland Rural Industry Training Council is holding its 2011 Inaugural Training Achievement Awards on Thursday December 1, 2011. The awards will be part of a gala dinner and presentation evening including the Yvon Wigley Scholarship. It will be held at the Mercure Hotel, 85–87 North Quay, Brisbane and dress is Black Tie. Cost is $85 per person or $620 for a table of eight. For more information contact QRITC on 3238 4800.

According to Queensland Farmers’ Federation CEO, Dan Galligan, today’s Prospects report from the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation also confirmed that recovery will be a long, hard road, and will come at a varying pace for different industries.

“This report shows that some of our key industries are returning to more normal trading and seasonal conditions and an improved outlook, which is especially welcome after a particularly testing summer in 2010-2011,” Mr Galligan said. “It also confirmed that other sectors are still facing very tough trading conditions and are still recovering from the disasters.”

Key agriculture sectors forecast for growth in 2011-2012 include:

• Sugar: up 30% from the previous forecast to $1.22 billion.

• Cotton: up 32% from the previous forecast to $872 million.

• Fruit and nuts: Up 18% from the previous forecast to $1.176 billion.

• Vegetables: Up 3% from the previous forecast to $1.188 billion.

• Poultry production: Up 2% from the previous forecast to $377 million.

Mr Galligan said that unfortunately there were other sectors were not enjoying the same bounce-back.

“Our primary producers in the lifestyle horticultural sector – including nurseries and flower production – are facing an 11% forecast drop in value. The sector is battling twin challenge of disaster recovery and an uncertain economic outlook that is impacting on consumer confidence and spending.

“Aquaculture production has also been hit very hard by the cyclones and wet weather, with a 3% forecast drop to about $91 million.”

“The milk industry is also forecast to face a drop in value of about 5% to about $229 million. Our dairy farmers have been heavily hit not just by natural disaster, but also the man-made disaster with the supermarket milk price war ongoing in 2011.”

Despite the challenges, Mr Galligan added that it was testament to the importance of the entire agricultural sector that, overall, it is forecast to produce its highest value ever to the Queensland economy for the year ahead.

“This is evidence of the resilience of farmers that they are on track for such a good result, even as the disaster recovery continues. It is also testament that agriculture continues to be such an important pillar of the Queensland economy.”

According to DEEDI, for 2011–12, the total value of Queensland’s primary industry commodities (combined gross value of production and first-stage processing) is forecast at $14.69 billion (5% higher than 2010–11).

“Farmers also know that these numbers are forecasts. It’s a long way to go before we reap this harvest, and in many cases the figures refer to crops that are not yet in the ground.

“Therefore, the hard work is yet to come. But the important message is that farmers are getting on with the job of recovering from disaster, and that the sector is continuing to be a very important and valuable contributor to the economy.”

QFF joins with many others in the rural community in mourning the death of Central Queensland grazier and well-known agri-politician, Peter Kenny. Among his many industry roles, Peter served as President of AgForce for four years, and previously delivered a long service of commitment to the AgForce board and Cattleman’s Union. He was at the helm of AgForce when the historic Blueprint for the Bush was introduced. Peter will be long remembered for his passion for rural industry, vibrant personality, and creative turn-of-phrase. QFF extends our sympathy to Peter’s friends and family.

COUNTING DOWN TO THE RELEASE OF THE DRAFT MURRAY-DARLING BASIN PLAN

THE Murray-Darling Basin Authority recently provided a briefing to peak rural groups on progress with the preparation of the draft Plan, which is due for release in November. The Authority confirmed that their current thinking was for a target of 2800 gigalitres for recovery of environmental water of which 890GL had already been recovered Basin wide. They proposed that the remaining 1900GL would be to be recovered in two phases. Half of this was proposed for recovery by 2015 and the remainder by 2019. A formal review would be conducted in 2015 and if necessary the environmental water target could be adjusted. State Governments would be required to have their catchment water resource plans compliant with the Basin Plan by 2019.

Authority planners also advised the meeting of proposed in-valley reduction targets. The significant reductions were 150GL in the Condamine Balonne and 8GL in the Border Rivers (Queensland section). They indicated the catchments in the Northern Basin in NSW and Queensland would also have to contribute an additional 140GL to meet a downstream shared reduction target but gave no details of how this would be shared between the catchments. The Authority’s target for environmental water recovery in the Northern Basin is 450GL.

Most of the 8GL in-valley target for the Queensland Border Rivers has already been recovered but there has been very little progress made with water recovery in the Condamine Balonne. There is also no explanation yet about where water will have to be recovered in the Condamine Balonne and what the environmental needs are in this catchment. Irrigators and their communities face a nervous wait to hear further details until the Chair of the Authority conducts his pre-draft plan release consultations.

CELEBRATING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE REEF RESCUE PROGRAM

THE Reef Alliance, of which QFF is a member, is launching its Reef Impact Statement in Canberra tomorrow evening, October 11, marking an important milestone in the progress of the Federal Government’s Reef Rescue program. Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Joe Ludwig and Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Tony Burke, will together receive the Impact Statement, which reports on the outcomes Australian Government’s Reef Rescue Program. A number of farmers will be at the launch to represent their industries and regions. They will also be showcasing their achievements and discussing some of the impacts of Reef Rescue funding directly with Australian Government MPs and Senators. The launch of the statement will be an opportunity to share the positive stories of the Reef Rescue initiative.

QRAA DETAILS THE UNPRECEDENTED CONTRIBUTION TO COMMUNITY RECOVERY

THE QRAA Annual Report 2010-11 released last week has shown that the organisation approved its higher ever number of applications for assistance, at 24,459 applications totalling $195.9 million. This is a 97 percent increase in funding approved and more than 10 times the number of applications approved in the 2009-10 financial year. This includes 9538 approved applications totalling more than $90 million in assistance to primary producers, businesses and non-profit organisations affected by Queensland’s floods and 2595 approved applications totalling nearly $25 million in assistance to primary producers, businesses and non-profit organisations affected by Cyclone Yasi. This high level of assistance is testament to the widespread destruction from the summer of disaster, and is a reminder that while the recovery is well underway, for many farmers it will take months and years to fully rebuild. On-ground feedback to QFF suggests that a very large part of the recovery effort is yet to come and that industry and government must be vigilant in ensuring it continues effectively.

AGRICULTURE AND FOOD INDUSTRY PREPARES FOR UPCOMING WET SEASON

QFF and its members last week met with officials from the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation as part of a forum on Natural Disaster Response for the upcoming wet season. The forum also included a briefing from the Bureau of Meteorology on its forecast for the summer, which currently is predicted in simple terms as “wet, but not as wet as last summer”. There are still indications of another La Nina event, which could result in heavy rain and possible cyclones. One the greatest risk we face over the coming months is that given the very high levels of sub-surface moisture in the soil profile many of our catchments will not need huge amounts of rain to reach saturation and flooding may result. Paul Adcock from the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service also discussed bushfire preparedness. QFF and our members are looking forward to a more positive wet season for 2011-2012, which will help sustain the recovery effort. With good moisture profiles and many commodity prices travelling well, there are high hopes for a positive outcome from the coming summer.

MEMBER NEWS

COTTONMAP GOES ONLINE TO TARGET SPRAY DRIFT

FOLLOWING a major technical upgrade, the CottonMap system, which protects the cotton industry from the adverse impact of Phenoxy herbicide spray drift, will be accessible on smart phones and tablet devices this season. CottonMap is a joint effort between Cotton Australia, Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC), Grains Research Development Corporation and Nufarm to minimise off-target damage from downward herbicide application, particularly during fallow spraying by plotting online nearby cotton fields. The enhanced technology now means cotton growers can more easily register the fields they are planting with cotton, while their neighbours can also use their iphone and smart phone device to check for cotton before spraying. For more information on CottonMap, visit www.cottonmap.com.au

GROWCOM SAYS SUPPORT LOCAL GROWERS TOO

GROWCOM has welcomed comments from the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) and Australian Workers’ Union (AWU) encouraging manufacturers to use locally sourced product where available and hopes that this support will extend to support for Australian grown fruit and vegetables for processing. Growcom CEO, Alex Livingstone, said that using locally grown produce for processing not only ensures that the end product is fresher, but it assists in the ongoing viability of the Australian farm sector and helps to retain our ability to feed ourselves. “With food imports uncertain in the future as other countries struggle to feed their own populations, or lose access to key inputs such as land and water, it is important that Australia maintains the capacity to feed ourselves. The best way to do this is by using our local produce,” Mr Livingstone said. “With many union members working in food processing plants, we hope that the AMWU and AWU will give their support to sourcing fruit and vegetables locally as well as for inputs in manufacturing.

OTHER NEWS

SEEKING YOUNG PEOPLE FOR RURAL WORKSHOPS IN TOOWOOMBA

CONDAMINE Alliance is inviting young people to participate in a unique project that is aimed at increasing the capacity of young farmers and rural decision makers on the Darling Downs. The project will deliver four workshops to focus on increasing awareness around: government and industry policy development and methods of influencing; challenges and opportunities facing agriculture and rural communities due to a changing climate; advantages of, and mechanisms underpinning a purpose driven team and transferring these skills into workplaces and the community; and accessing the existing knowledge, skills and experience of the Emeritus Science Group. Condamine Alliance has been successful in securing a grant from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry under the Next Gen Farmers program to fully subsidise 20 young farmers and rural decision makers to participate in the workshop series. The workshops will be held over four days at the Empire Theatre Supper Room, Toowoomba, two in November 2011 and the subsequent two in February 2012. Visit the Condamine Alliance website for information.

BIOENERGY AUSTRALIA CONFERENCE OPEN FOR REGISTRATION

EARLY bird registration is open for the Bioenergy Australia 2011 Conference, to be held at the Novotel Twin Waters Resort, Sunshine Coast, on November 24 and 25 and a conference tour on November 23. The program has some 110 presentations covering most aspects of bioenergy. Information is available from Bioenergy Australia or click here to register.