NEW FEDERAL MINISTRY STRONG ON REGIONAL REPRESENTATION

A REVAMPED Federal Cabinet will be quick to hear the challenges confronting rural Queensland, the Queensland Farmers’ Federation said today.
As the new Gillard Cabinet readies itself to be sworn this week, QFF President Gary Sansom said that while there would be new Ministers in key rural positions the challenges remained the same.
“Regional Australia and agriculture have a new level of representation that wasn’t seen in the last term of Parliament,” Mr Sansom said. “The challenge now will be ensuring that these new Ministers enact policies that promote and develop rural and regional Australia.”
Key rural industry positions include:
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Joe Ludwig; Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Mike Kelly; Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development, and Local Government, Simon Crean; Minister for Sustainable Population, Communities, Environment and Water, Tony Burke; Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Greg Combet; and Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainable Population, Communities, Environment and Water, Don Farrell.
Mr Sansom said having a Queensland senator as the Minister for Agriculture was welcome, as was the re-introduction of a Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture.
“We look forward to working with Joe Ludwig and his Parliamentary Secretary Mike Kelly,” Mr Sansom said.
Mr Sansom said the agricultural sector would be looking for Senator Ludwig to provide leadership in relation to water reform, climate change, research and development, biosecurity, and many other issues.
“We also hope that Tony Burke in his new capacities with the water portfolio is able to utilise the experiences of the last three years in agriculture.
“Minister Burke will be dealing with the challenge of the draft Basin Plan in the coming months. He knows as well as anyone the challenges that this reform will bring for rural communities. We look forward to working with him to ensure that irrigators and communities can move positively through the changes ahead.
“There are positive opportunities for the bush with these new Ministers. The ball is now in their court, and QFF will be working positively with them in any way that we can.”