❓ The Minister for Water outlines the government's initiatives to support the agriculture industry through the 'Seizing the Opportunity Agriculture' program, focusing on expanding irrigated agriculture, proving water resources, and groundwater investigations, particularly in the Kimberley and Fitzroy Valley regions.
AnsweredQoN 550Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WATER
PORTFOLIO — AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY SUPPORT
550. Mr
V.A. CATANIA to the Minister for Water:
I congratulate the minister for driving the government's
commitment to developing the agricultural sector to take advantage of the
growing demand for food in Asia. Can the minister inform the house of the work
being undertaken in the water portfolio to support the agriculture industry?
PORTFOLIO — AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY SUPPORT
550. Mr
V.A. CATANIA to the Minister for Water:
I congratulate the minister for driving the government's
commitment to developing the agricultural sector to take advantage of the
growing demand for food in Asia. Can the minister inform the house of the work
being undertaken in the water portfolio to support the agriculture industry?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for North West Central. It is a fantastic
question. Indeed, as a state government, we are well positioned to take
advantage of the opportunity that is growing on our doorstep on a daily basis.
Members would have seen over the past months the increasing number of media
articles on this topic and the growing interest, certainly from private sector
investors, in the agriculture industry in Western Australia, and we are excited about this. I assure
the house that we are staying
ahead of the curve in this space because we started thinking about this well before we knew that there would be this interest and the
rest of the community came on board and saw the value and opportunity here in
Western Australia.
We have a
royalties for regions program called Seizing the Opportunity Agriculture, which
is a $300 million investment—perhaps the biggest investment in
agriculture for many, many years, if not forever. Over the winter break, we
announced the first tranche of that funding. It is called Water for Food, and
it is about expanding irrigated agriculture across the state. It is about
creating jobs and addressing the challenges in communities with singular economies. It is about
diversification and removing some of our reliance on the mining sector. During
the winter recess the Minister for Regional Development; Lands; the member for
North West Central; and Hon Dave Grills, member for Mining and Pastoral Region
and I visited the Kimberley, and we announced a $15.5 million package, which is
the first of a number through the Water for Food program. Of that, $3.6 million
is for a stand-and-graze irrigation trial to be held in partnership with the
Mowanjum Aboriginal Corporation on Mowanjum station. For those members who are
not aware, it is on the outskirts of Derby. It is well-located with good access
to ports. The station has made an enormous investment in upgrading and
increasing its capacity, and we look
forward to partnering with it to create a research agreement and to look at
ways that we can create a robust model that can be replicated across the
Kimberley in irrigated agriculture.
Also, $2.7
million is being invested into proving up water resources for the Knowsley
agricultural area. Many years ago, in the 1920s, it was surveyed out, and then,
due to the Depression, no further work was done to ensure we had water to
service that area. If the water is proved up and sustainable, we can look at
high-value and intensive cropping under irrigation. There is the potential for
us to create a whole new industry on the outskirts of Derby. Those members who
are regular visitors to that region know that some serious employment and
social issues need to be addressed in that area, and we can do that only
through the creation of employment.
We announced funding of $6.1 million for groundwater
investigations in the Fitzroy Valley. A number of pastoralists have already
made significant investments, and the state government is looking to increase
knowledge and understanding of the groundwater situation. The Department of
Water has done much work in that space, but we can always do more. This will
also encourage those pastoralists to go down the path of attracting third party
investment to increase irrigated agriculture in that space. Wound around this—I
am sure that the Minister for Regional Development; Lands will comment on this
further in weeks to come—there will be a land tenure project. None of
this can happen unless we see diversification of permits and pastoral leases in
that part of the world. We need to work in partnership with traditional owners
and pastoral station owners to achieve the outcome we are after.
In short, this program is about positioning WA to take
advantage of the wonderful opportunities we have on our doorstep. We spent a fantastic weekend with the
community—the shire, the representatives from the pastoral stations and
the traditional owners. They all look forward to working alongside state
government to achieve this vision, which is the first of a number of programs
that we will deliver through the Seizing the Opportunity Agriculture program
funded through royalties for regions. I look forward to speaking further about
it in this place.
question. Indeed, as a state government, we are well positioned to take
advantage of the opportunity that is growing on our doorstep on a daily basis.
Members would have seen over the past months the increasing number of media
articles on this topic and the growing interest, certainly from private sector
investors, in the agriculture industry in Western Australia, and we are excited about this. I assure
the house that we are staying
ahead of the curve in this space because we started thinking about this well before we knew that there would be this interest and the
rest of the community came on board and saw the value and opportunity here in
Western Australia.
We have a
royalties for regions program called Seizing the Opportunity Agriculture, which
is a $300 million investment—perhaps the biggest investment in
agriculture for many, many years, if not forever. Over the winter break, we
announced the first tranche of that funding. It is called Water for Food, and
it is about expanding irrigated agriculture across the state. It is about
creating jobs and addressing the challenges in communities with singular economies. It is about
diversification and removing some of our reliance on the mining sector. During
the winter recess the Minister for Regional Development; Lands; the member for
North West Central; and Hon Dave Grills, member for Mining and Pastoral Region
and I visited the Kimberley, and we announced a $15.5 million package, which is
the first of a number through the Water for Food program. Of that, $3.6 million
is for a stand-and-graze irrigation trial to be held in partnership with the
Mowanjum Aboriginal Corporation on Mowanjum station. For those members who are
not aware, it is on the outskirts of Derby. It is well-located with good access
to ports. The station has made an enormous investment in upgrading and
increasing its capacity, and we look
forward to partnering with it to create a research agreement and to look at
ways that we can create a robust model that can be replicated across the
Kimberley in irrigated agriculture.
Also, $2.7
million is being invested into proving up water resources for the Knowsley
agricultural area. Many years ago, in the 1920s, it was surveyed out, and then,
due to the Depression, no further work was done to ensure we had water to
service that area. If the water is proved up and sustainable, we can look at
high-value and intensive cropping under irrigation. There is the potential for
us to create a whole new industry on the outskirts of Derby. Those members who
are regular visitors to that region know that some serious employment and
social issues need to be addressed in that area, and we can do that only
through the creation of employment.
We announced funding of $6.1 million for groundwater
investigations in the Fitzroy Valley. A number of pastoralists have already
made significant investments, and the state government is looking to increase
knowledge and understanding of the groundwater situation. The Department of
Water has done much work in that space, but we can always do more. This will
also encourage those pastoralists to go down the path of attracting third party
investment to increase irrigated agriculture in that space. Wound around this—I
am sure that the Minister for Regional Development; Lands will comment on this
further in weeks to come—there will be a land tenure project. None of
this can happen unless we see diversification of permits and pastoral leases in
that part of the world. We need to work in partnership with traditional owners
and pastoral station owners to achieve the outcome we are after.
In short, this program is about positioning WA to take
advantage of the wonderful opportunities we have on our doorstep. We spent a fantastic weekend with the
community—the shire, the representatives from the pastoral stations and
the traditional owners. They all look forward to working alongside state
government to achieve this vision, which is the first of a number of programs
that we will deliver through the Seizing the Opportunity Agriculture program
funded through royalties for regions. I look forward to speaking further about
it in this place.
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