This weekend Australians will head to the polls and determine the next Australian Government.
Throughout the campaign the Queensland agriculture sector has welcomed a number of bipartisan commitments including funding for the Bruce Highway and farm safety, as well as support from both major parties for a National Food Security Strategy.
There have also been several commitments made to improve regional infrastructure, including digital infrastructure, and regional access to services including healthcare and childcare.
The most notable of these commitments were the Coalition’s proposed $20 billion Regional Australia Future Fund, and reinstatement of the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program, which would provide $500 million for all councils for community infrastructure.
While many say the outcome of this election is most likely to be determined in suburban divisions in New South Wales and Victoria, regional Australia will no doubt be sending a strong message to the Federal Government.
This is particularly true in Western Australia where farmers and communities impacted by the Government’s live sheep export decision continue to campaign against the impending ban under the Keep the Sheep banner.
As we saw in last year’s Queensland state election, regional communities are certainly capable of changing the balance of power and with many predicting a hung parliament, regional and urban-rural hybrid seats may play a critical role in deciding the final composition of our next Federal Government.
The outcome of this election will be undoubtedly impactful, given the current sense of global uncertainty and the need for relief across a number of areas impacting all Australians including housing, energy, and other daily cost-of-living expenses.
Australia’s farmers are also in need of policy outcomes that will reduce production costs and increase the security of key inputs such as water and energy. There are a range of other policy measures agriculture needs including support to access a viable farm workforce, strategic investments in resilience, natural disaster preparedness and risk management through to meaningful trade outcomes with key markets , just to name a few.
QFF will continue to work alongside our members, including Canegrowers, Cotton Australia and Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers, to pursue these policy outcomes at both a state and federal level to advance a stronger future for Queensland agriculture.