WEEKLY BULLETIN

POSITION VACANT: PROJECT OFFICER, VEGETATION MANAGEMENT

QFF is seeking a Project Officer to manage its vegetation management project. The position will work with the QFF membership network to work directly with farmers to support them with vegetation management issues in relation to the farm production system. The role will determine and promote mechanisms by which the intensive agricultural sector can better integrate vegetation management planning mechanisms within a profitable farm management system with particular reference to the Queensland Vegetation Management framework. The successful candidate will also coordinate and collate feedback in order to provide submissions to the review and re-make of the Queensland regrowth vegetation code.

POLITICAL LEADERS REVEAL THEIR PLANS FOR THE MURRAY DARLING BASIN

BOTH sides of politics travelled to Adelaide in the last week to lay out their policies for Murray Darling Basin reform. The ALP announced that it would meet the full reductions of the forthcoming Sustainable Diversion Limits by purchasing entitlement from willing sellers, while the Coalition announced the same, but with a promise for a more strategic targeting of the buyback. The Coalition also announced an extra $300 million in funding for irrigation infrastructure and $200M for strengthening Basin communities. It also pledged to commission an urgent study byr the Productivity Commission and ABARE to evaluate the economic and social impacts of the Basin Plan.
QFF welcomed both sets of policies this week, although with notable frustration that understanding and analysing these policies would have been much easier had the guide to Basin Plan not been delayed by the election. The policy to meet the new Sustainable Diversion Limit (SDL) by purchasing water from willing sellers brings a degree of certainty to irrigators, although it is also noted that to date the Commonwealth has bought relatively little water in Queensland. The Coalition policy picks up the issue that the current approach to water reform has become divergent from the original intent of the Water Act 2007, which was to balance the environmental, social, and economic needs of water.

MENINDEE LAKES ON THE POLITICAL AGENDA – AGAIN

THE Menindee Lakes in western NSW also received political attention in water policy announcements this week. Julia Gillard announced a memorandum of understanding with the NSW Government to improve efficiencies at the Lakes, while Tony Abbott also vowed to mend the problems at the Lakes within one year if elected. Given that this is not the first time the Menindee Lakes have been part of an election promise (they featured notably ahead of the 2007 election as well) Queensland irrigators will most likely be treating the announcements with a degree of skepticism and will look forward to seeing real results on the ground. Notwithstanding this, given the high evaporation rates at the Lakes and the need for water downstream of them at the Murray mouth, irrigators would welcome a swift approach to securing Broken Hill’s water supply and making the Lakes efficient. Engineering solutions are an important part of the equation to delivering a healthy and sustainable Basin. In QFFs view irrigators strive to use their water efficiently; the community deserves confidence that environmental water is being used efficiently as well.

ALP TO OPEN UP CARBON MARKET FOR FARMERS

PRIME Minister Julia Gillard announced on Saturday that a re-elected Labor government would legislate to improve farmers’ ability to participate in the international carbon market. The policy forms part of the original Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme and also has similarities to policies that were put forward by former Opposition leader, Malcolm Turnbull. Ms Gillard said the government would fund facilitation for farmers to receive information on carbon farming, and also allow farmers and brokers to come together so they can sell carbon credits internationally. Examples of carbon sequestration include planting trees on marginal land not used for farming. QFF welcomes the plan to open up the carbon market for farmers but, like many aspects of the campaign, the lack of full information on the long-term carbon policy means there is yet uncertainty for farmers surrounding climate change policy.

FEDERAL ELECTION – QFF’S VIEWS ON THE CAMPAIGN SO FAR

QFF will later this week release its election analysis of major rural policies ahead of voting on Saturday. This document will analyse the agricultural policies of the Coalition, Labor, and the Greens, and give a brief rundown of what these policies would mean for the sector. The scorecard will look at major policies of food production and security, environment and climate change, water and the Murray Darling Basin, and regional development.

BORE RESTRICTIONS LIFTED AT COUGAR ENERGY SITE

BORE restrictions have now been eased within the two kilometer radius of Cougar Energy’s underground coal gasification (UCG) plant near Kingaroy. The plant itself however is still subject a legal Environmental Protection Order under the Environmental Protection Act, which means it cannot re-commence operations. The restrictions were enforced last month after fears that carcinogenic chemicals benzene and toluene had contaminated the groundwater. Since then, the Department of Environment and Resource Management has conducted five rounds of water quality testing and has stated that there are no concerns with water quality from the bores. Following the Kingaroy groundwater scare, the State Government has appointed a Scientific Panel to assess and report on the technical, environmental and social impacts of the UCG industry. If the Scientific Panel is not satisfied that this new technology can resume without environmental harm, the pilot projects will not be given approval to continue. With the gas industry still on the radar for many farmers, QFF will this week attend an Informa Mining and Resources forum in Brisbane, where CEO Dan Galligan will present the farming industry’s perspective to a mining industry audience along with industry representatives from the likes of AgForce and the NSW Farmers Association.

MEMBER NEWS

COTTON CONFERENCE SUCCESS ON THE GOLD COAST

CLOSE to 1000 delegates gathered on the Gold Coast last week for the biennial cotton conference. The three day-event focused on the full industry from dirt to shirt and had an air of confidence as the industry prepares itself for a promising season and an increase in area from that of the 09-10 crop. Cotton Australia also welcomed Boggabri, NSW, farmer Andrew Watson to the chair, after Joanne Grainger (who is also QFF vice-president) stood down from the chair’s position. The conference also recognised outstanding industry achievers at its industry awards: CSD Researcher of the Year Award winner, Nilantha Hulugalle, Industry and Investment NSW/Cotton CRC, Narrabri NSW; Chris Lehman Trust Young Achiever of the Year winner, Sponsored by Bayer CropScience, Susan Maas, Extension Officer, Emerald; AgriRisk Innovative Grower of the Year winner, Rob and Susannah Tuck, Newhaven, Narromine, NSW; Monsanto Grower of the Year winner, John Norman and Tony Taylor, Kalanga, Toobeah; Cotton Australia Service to Industry Award winner, Peter Glennie, cotton grower, Moree, NSW.

CANEGROWERS OUTRAGED BY INCREASE IN STATE LAND RENTS

SUGARCANE producers across Queensland are outraged by the Queensland Government’s newest cash grabbing exercise – up to 400 percent increases on road licences and leases on crown land – without warning to land holders, without transparency and without any real option for farmers to terminate the lease arrangements. Farmers have found themselves in a no win, no consultation, no choice situation where their farm is unfortunate enough to include a state easement or land parcel reserved for some future use. Farmers currently pay for the privilege of managing these small parcels of government reserves; they must pay in advance, must pay an application fee to withdraw from the lease and in most cases must continue to manage weeds and infestations even if able to be released from the one sided lease arrangement. After receiving their road licence bills from DERM this week, growers were shocked to find the minimum rental on agricultural land has increased from $75 to $370, apparently due to a change in regulations. Many growers have more than one road licence. “Most growers found out about the increase when they received their bill in the mail – with no prior consultation or warning that this increase was imminent,” said CANEGROWERS CEO Ian Ballantyne. “The current cost increase simply appears to be a mechanism to raise funds for the state government and does not reflect costs of administration. It is not geared to CPI or movement in property value and the charges are remarkably similar, irrespective of land size, location or condition.”

QUEENSLAND AQUACULTURE READY TO GROW

THE Queensland prawn and barramundi industries are ready and eager for a rapid expansion in production, but current government regulations and green tape are holding them back, farmers heard at the joint industry conference earlier this month. Growing world populations, particularly in China, are driving a seafood boom. According to Dr Richard Smullen, who spoke at the joint prawn and barramundi farmers’ conference, annual seafood consumption in China is about 40kg per person – about the same as beef consumption for Australians. He said this is despite China increasingly lacking arable land, water, feed, and raw materials. “We measure production in the 10s of thousands of tonnes, and they measure production in the millions,” Dr Smullen said. “But in China there is less attention to quality, environment, and sustainability.” Yet Queensland producers are facing government regulations have become so onerous that new farms are not being built, and have not been for years. In contrast, aquaculture development in other States, such as South Australia and Tasmania, has been racing ahead with supportive State Governments. Australian Barramundi Farmers’ Association vice-president, Ken Chapman, said his industry faced big challenges. “The discharge criteria that is required (from discharged water) can be less than the actual water going into the farm,” Dr Chapman said.

OTHER NEWS

‘SUPER FOODS’ HEALTH AND FOOD SCIENCES PRECINCT OPENS

THE Queensland Government has opened its new Health and Food Sciences Precinct in Brisbane, with the $100 million facility located at the Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services Campus in Cooper Plains. The centre will house State Government and CSIRO scientists. The opening is part of the “disinvest to reinvest” strategy within the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation. Minister for Primary Industries, Fisheries and Rural and Regional Queensland, Tim Mulherin, said bringing together animal and human health diagnostic capabilities and food research has many advantages. “The precinct will enhance the sustainability and international competitiveness of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, mining and tourism industries in Queensland,” Minister Mulherin said.