WEEKLY BULLETIN

Vale: Malcolm McCosker

EVERYONE at QFF extends our condolences and thoughts to the families and friends of well-known rural journalist, Malcolm McCosker, who died at the weekend after a long illness. We also extend our sympathies to all whom have worked with Malcolm over his 50 years in rural journalist, mostly at the Queensland Country Life. Malcolm served in many capacities in his time with the paper, including as editor. During his long and distinguished career, which also included historical books on agriculture in Queensland, Malcolm had a passion for journalism and agriculture, and has played an important role in reporting countless major stories over the last five decades. He will be missed across a vast stretch of Queensland.

INDEPENDENT PANEL TO REVIEW LAND ACCESS LAWS

AN independent panel has been appointed to review Queensland’s land access laws. The review panel will consult with key industry and community stakeholders to assess the day-to-day workings and effectiveness of the land access framework. The panel will also consult with nominated landholders and resource companies who have been directly affected by the framework and have gone through the Conduct and Compensation Agreement process. The five-person panel will provide a final report, including any recommendations to the government, in February next year. It will be chaired by Dr David Watson, a Queensland Competition Authority board member and former parliamentary leader of the Queensland Liberal Party 1998-2001. He will be joined by Gary Sansom, John Cotter, Alice Clark, and Geoff Dickie. QFF welcomes the review into this very important issue and hope that its outcomes will go towards improving the equity of land access negotiations. QFF will work with the review panel to ensure that it fully understands the concerns of our members and landholders in relation to the current interface between the resources and agriculture sectors.

QFF LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE

THE Queensland Farmers’ Federation will tomorrow unveil its new website, www.qff.org.au. The fresh looking website will enhance QFF’s ability to communicate with our members and wider audiences in rural policy. Members are encouraged to keep an eye on the ‘events and key dates’ section, which features important upcoming events and submission deadlines. The new site will continue to feature regular updates of the QFF Weekly Bulletin, President Joanne Grainger’s weekly Queensland Country Life column, and our latest press releases.

SENATE COMMITTEE SEEKS IMPROVEMENTS AROUND CSG DEVELOPMENT

A SENATE Inquiry into the Murray Darling Basin Plan has released an interim report looking at the potential impact of coal seam gas activities on the Basin. QFF has provided extensive feedback to this inquiry to this inquiry via public hearings and submissions and welcomes this interim report (the final reporting deadline has been extended until June 29, 2012). The report makes 24 recommendations, including a pause on approvals for CSG activities in parts of the Murray Darling Basin overlying the Great Artesian Basin. It also calls for a review of adaptive management practices, a greater focus on cumulative impacts, that CSG water should be included in the calculation of the total withdrawal from ground and surface water systems, and a more rigorous approach to managing salt and brine from CSG water. QFF welcomes the thorough analysis being undertaken by the Senate Rural Affairs and Transport References Committee. While the committee members are mostly from Opposition and crossbench parties, QFF hopes that the government can take a bi-partisan approach and make a pragmatic response to the inquiry’s findings.

SCL BILL PASSES THE PARLIAMENT

STRATEGIC Cropping Land legislation passed through State Parliament with bi-partisan support on the last sitting day of 2011, with the new laws expected to come into effect in early 2012. QFF has worked long and hard on ensuring the best possible outcome from this policy, and will continue to work with the Government and DERM in its implementation. It is an important step in a long and ongoing process to ensure Queensland’s agricultural soils are protected for the long term. Of note during the debate was an amendment by the Katter Australia Party to amend the soil slope criteria from five percent to eight percent, which would have afforded more protection for cropping soils near Kingaroy. While the LNP supported this amendment, it did not have government support and was voted down in the chamber.

BASIN PLAN CONSULTATION BEGINS

THE first of the Murray Darling Basin Authority’s consultations on its draft Basin Plan will be in Queensland this week, with a session in St George Wednesday. The St George region and downstream to Dirranbandi is expected to be among the hardest hit by proposed Sustainable Diversion Limits. Therefore, Tuesday’s meeting will be an important event for irrigators, the community, and all interested stakeholders. It is on Wednesday December 7 at the Cultural Centre from 9am to 12pm. More information is available here.

$2 MILLION INNOVATION SCHEME TO HELP DOUBLE QUEENSLAND’S FOOD INDUSTRY

THE State Government has announced a $2 million grants scheme for food businesses to promote innovation, growth and productivity. The funding program targets all food businesses across the food supply chain, particularly small-to-medium sized businesses. It will offer dollar for dollar grants between $25,000 and $100,000 for innovative activities such as the development and trial of new food processes and technologies. More information about the Food Innovation and Productivity Incentives (FIPI) is available through DEEDI’s website www.deedi.qld.gov.au.

SUNWATER PRICING CONSULTATIONS CONTINUES

THE Queensland Competition Authority is continuing its round of meetings across SunWater irrigation areas, detailing its investigations into potential future water prices. Irrigators in these areas are urged to attend upcoming meetings, learn more about the process, and provide feedback to QCA:

MEMBER NEWS

CANEGROWERS WELCOMES DIURON RETENTION AT 1.8 KG PER HECTARE, BUT NON-USE PERIOD PERVERSE

CANEGROWERS says it will ramp up its ongoing campaign taking government to task over the proposed non-use period of diuron, and has spoken about its plans to lobby strongly over the coming days and months to have the temporary measure contained in the interim permit, overturned. The APVMA announced last week that while it would allow continued use of diuron at 1.8 kg per hectare – a win for CANEGROWERS who lobbied for continued use of the important management tool according to best management – it will put in place a temporary hold on use of the product, starting December 5 and running through to March 31. CANEGROWERS says the approach is highly restrictive, and the sugarcane industry, along with the banana, tea and coffee industry uses the weed management tool according to a risk based approach.

LONG WAIT ENDS FOR MDB PLAN

AFTER waiting for so long to finally see the Murray Darling Basin Plan’s detailed analysis and scientific supporting evidence, the Basin Plan fails to justify any significant reductions in water availability, according to Cotton Australia. Water Policy Manager, Michael Murray, says it is extremely disappointing that the very significant cutbacks in water being called for have not been backed by detailed environmental water plans and objectives, and there remains a lack of detailed and realistic socio-economic modelling which would, if available, highlight the impacts on communities. He says the much talked about the role of “localism” along with a review promised for 2015, while positive developments, like much of the plan lack detail and remained hazy. “From the information available, it looks like we can expect significant reductions in water availability in the Lower Balonne, Border Rivers, Namoi, Murrumbidgee and Murray Valleys, on top of the significant reductions already in place in the Gwydir and Macquarie Valleys.” Mr Murray also warns that this version of the MDB plan doesn’t offer any specific commitment to adequately resource the States to prepare environmental water plans, and monitor and assess their performance.

OTHER NEWS

RURAL TRAINING AWARDS

THE Queensland Rural Industry Training Council (QRITC) had a most successful annual general meeting and awards dinner last week, the highlight of which was the announcement of the five winners of training bursaries, including the inaugural Yvon Wigley Scholarship to Graincorp employee, Wendy Hiscoe. Discussions at the AGM focused on six ongoing projects, including the special Rural Recovery Training package that Skills Queensland is funding for another year to provide free courses in regions impacted by floods and cyclones. QRITC also “launched” its new website which is www.qritc.org.au.

OFF THE EATEN TRACK – SERIES TWO DEBUT

QUEENSLAND’S agriculture and food industries are starring in Channel 7′s ‘Off the Eaten Track’ series airing Saturdays at 7pm in December commencing Saturday, December 3. The second series of this home-grown food show, produced in partnership with the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation features celebrity chef, Alastair McLeod travelling from Tropical North Queensland to Bundaberg, the Sunshine Coast and the Darling Downs, meeting passionate primary producers and celebrating the quality and diversity of Queensland food. Along the way he prepares fast, fresh and simple recipes for the busy cook. The four-part program will profile both iconic and lesser-known Queensland produce including aquaculture prawns, eggs, beef, the Queensland bred and grown Aus-Jubilee pineapple, tea, bananas, vegetables, macadamia nuts and more. Footage from the first series of Off the Eaten Track can be viewed at www.offtheeatentrack.tv.

CHURCHILL FELLOWSHIPS OPEN

APPLICATIONS are now open for 2012 Churchill Fellowships through the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. The fellowships allow Australians to study abroad and undertake projects that will deliver a benefit to Australia. More information is available here.