❓ Mr Cowper asks the Minister for Agriculture about the government's achievements and future vision for the agriculture portfolio. Mr Redman outlines key decisions and investments made by the Liberal-National government in agriculture over the past two years.
AnsweredQoN 233Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
AGRICULTURE PORTFOLIO — ACHIEVEMENTS
As the minister knows, last Saturday marked 100 weeks until the next state election. I think it is fitting that today the minister hosted an agriculture industry forum that looked at the successes we have achieved in agriculture over the past two years. Can the minister outline what vision he has for us in the remaining 100 weeks before the next state election, and beyond; and, for the benefit of members who were not present at the forum, can the minister please outline some of the Liberal–National government’s achievements in the agriculture portfolio and the plan for the rest of the term and beyond? Mr D.T. REDMAN
As the minister knows, last Saturday marked 100 weeks until the next state election. I think it is fitting that today the minister hosted an agriculture industry forum that looked at the successes we have achieved in agriculture over the past two years. Can the minister outline what vision he has for us in the remaining 100 weeks before the next state election, and beyond; and, for the benefit of members who were not present at the forum, can the minister please outline some of the Liberal–National government’s achievements in the agriculture portfolio and the plan for the rest of the term and beyond? Mr D.T. REDMAN
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Murray–Wellington for the question. Quite rightly, on the back of the Premier’s comments, this government makes decisions! When we first came into government, we laid out a priority plan for delivering on agriculture in Western Australia. I have never seen anything in black and white from the opposition in terms of any sort of vision for agriculture, any sort of plan for the sector or any sort of significant investment in the sector. We will be measured on our decisions. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Member for Collie–Preston, I formally call you to order for the second time today. Member for Cockburn, I call you for the first time today. Member for Joondalup, I do not need any advice at this stage; thank you. I formally call you to order for the second time today. Mr D.T. REDMAN : We can stand proud on a record of what we have achieved over the past two years. It is timely to remind people where we are at. The seminar and forum held this morning was exactly that, but it was also about putting some sort of vision going forward. When we quickly go over the past couple of years, the decision to allow Western Australian farmers access to technology that has been around for over 14 years and in over 148 million hectares around the world enables them to be competitive in a challenging international market. The decision to allow InterGrain to bring on a partner to have access to technology that will double the rate of genetic advance in plant breeding without genetic modification was very, very significant and it resulted in significant investment in the grain sector. Several members interjected. Mr D.T. REDMAN : In relation to the Ord expansion project, $22 million of royalties for regions funds has been put into the East Kimberley development, which is, again, a significant investment in agriculture. The investment will cover 8 000 hectares to start with, and a further 6 000 hectares will be in the mix. One of the first decisions we made was about the saleyard investment strategy across the state. We spent $54 million on Muchea, and we have spent $21 million rolling out the rest of the saleyard strategy. That is yet another example of us making decisions. Members have also seen our commitment to drought reform in our rolling out of a drought solution pilot in Western Australia, despite last year being challenging. I will be heading off this afternoon to meet with Joe Ludwig, federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, to look at options for expanding the drought project into 2011–12. Several members interjected. Mr D.T. REDMAN : We made another significant decision, which was to transform the Department of Agriculture and Food in Western Australia so that it can to deliver to a sector that is contemporary. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Some members in this place may think my hearing is faulty; it is not true, member for Collie–Preston, and I am formally going to call you to order for the third time today. The Minister for Agriculture and Food has the call. Mr D.T. REDMAN : I will quickly mention a couple of other achievements. We have deregulated grain marketing in Western Australia and we have deregulated the chicken meat industry. In terms of biosecurity, we have put in place industry funding and regulations; we have built the Boulder quarantine yards; we have put extra funding into wild dog control in Western Australia; and we have set up the WA Beef Council and the Sheep Industry Leadership Council to look at whole-of-supply-chain shifts. We have also made significant market gains for wheat into Saudi Arabia; lupins into Indonesia; dairy into Singapore; and wine into China—the list goes on. We still have a lot to do. We want to regrow the wealth in Western Australia following the challenging seasons of the past couple of years by improving the business skills of the farming sector. We want to raise the profile of agriculture to attract the necessary people to deliver in that sector, and we want to continue with our drought reform plan by putting in place risk-mitigation products to deal with the challenges of drought and low rainfall. I am working with the Minister for Regional Development; Lands to look at pastoral reform, which has been talked about and talked about and talked about. We are putting it on the table and making the hard decisions to move down the path of reform. Opening up the vast potential of the Ord River region remains strong on our agenda. New facilities, including the Department of Agriculture and Food headquarters and the Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre, are significant projects that we will deliver in the remaining part of this government. There are huge challenges out there, which we are not shying away from—we are taking them face-on—but there are also huge opportunities. I am confident that we can capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead so that agriculture continues to make a positive contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of Western Australia for many decades to come.
Mr D.T. REDMAN replied: I thank the member for Murray–Wellington for the question. Quite rightly, on the back of the Premier’s comments, this government makes decisions! When we first came into government, we laid out a priority plan for delivering on agriculture in Western Australia. I have never seen anything in black and white from the opposition in terms of any sort of vision for agriculture, any sort of plan for the sector or any sort of significant investment in the sector. We will be measured on our decisions. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Member for Collie–Preston, I formally call you to order for the second time today. Member for Cockburn, I call you for the first time today. Member for Joondalup, I do not need any advice at this stage; thank you. I formally call you to order for the second time today. Mr D.T. REDMAN : We can stand proud on a record of what we have achieved over the past two years. It is timely to remind people where we are at. The seminar and forum held this morning was exactly that, but it was also about putting some sort of vision going forward. When we quickly go over the past couple of years, the decision to allow Western Australian farmers access to technology that has been around for over 14 years and in over 148 million hectares around the world enables them to be competitive in a challenging international market. The decision to allow InterGrain to bring on a partner to have access to technology that will double the rate of genetic advance in plant breeding without genetic modification was very, very significant and it resulted in significant investment in the grain sector. Several members interjected. Mr D.T. REDMAN : In relation to the Ord expansion project, $22 million of royalties for regions funds has been put into the East Kimberley development, which is, again, a significant investment in agriculture. The investment will cover 8 000 hectares to start with, and a further 6 000 hectares will be in the mix. One of the first decisions we made was about the saleyard investment strategy across the state. We spent $54 million on Muchea, and we have spent $21 million rolling out the rest of the saleyard strategy. That is yet another example of us making decisions. Members have also seen our commitment to drought reform in our rolling out of a drought solution pilot in Western Australia, despite last year being challenging. I will be heading off this afternoon to meet with Joe Ludwig, federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, to look at options for expanding the drought project into 2011–12. Several members interjected. Mr D.T. REDMAN : We made another significant decision, which was to transform the Department of Agriculture and Food in Western Australia so that it can to deliver to a sector that is contemporary. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Some members in this place may think my hearing is faulty; it is not true, member for Collie–Preston, and I am formally going to call you to order for the third time today. The Minister for Agriculture and Food has the call. Mr D.T. REDMAN : I will quickly mention a couple of other achievements. We have deregulated grain marketing in Western Australia and we have deregulated the chicken meat industry. In terms of biosecurity, we have put in place industry funding and regulations; we have built the Boulder quarantine yards; we have put extra funding into wild dog control in Western Australia; and we have set up the WA Beef Council and the Sheep Industry Leadership Council to look at whole-of-supply-chain shifts. We have also made significant market gains for wheat into Saudi Arabia; lupins into Indonesia; dairy into Singapore; and wine into China—the list goes on. We still have a lot to do. We want to regrow the wealth in Western Australia following the challenging seasons of the past couple of years by improving the business skills of the farming sector. We want to raise the profile of agriculture to attract the necessary people to deliver in that sector, and we want to continue with our drought reform plan by putting in place risk-mitigation products to deal with the challenges of drought and low rainfall. I am working with the Minister for Regional Development; Lands to look at pastoral reform, which has been talked about and talked about and talked about. We are putting it on the table and making the hard decisions to move down the path of reform. Opening up the vast potential of the Ord River region remains strong on our agenda. New facilities, including the Department of Agriculture and Food headquarters and the Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre, are significant projects that we will deliver in the remaining part of this government. There are huge challenges out there, which we are not shying away from—we are taking them face-on—but there are also huge opportunities. I am confident that we can capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead so that agriculture continues to make a positive contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of Western Australia for many decades to come.
I thank the member for Murray–Wellington for the question. Quite rightly, on the back of the Premier’s comments, this government makes decisions! When we first came into government, we laid out a priority plan for delivering on agriculture in Western Australia. I have never seen anything in black and white from the opposition in terms of any sort of vision for agriculture, any sort of plan for the sector or any sort of significant investment in the sector. We will be measured on our decisions. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Member for Collie–Preston, I formally call you to order for the second time today. Member for Cockburn, I call you for the first time today. Member for Joondalup, I do not need any advice at this stage; thank you. I formally call you to order for the second time today. Mr D.T. REDMAN : We can stand proud on a record of what we have achieved over the past two years. It is timely to remind people where we are at. The seminar and forum held this morning was exactly that, but it was also about putting some sort of vision going forward. When we quickly go over the past couple of years, the decision to allow Western Australian farmers access to technology that has been around for over 14 years and in over 148 million hectares around the world enables them to be competitive in a challenging international market. The decision to allow InterGrain to bring on a partner to have access to technology that will double the rate of genetic advance in plant breeding without genetic modification was very, very significant and it resulted in significant investment in the grain sector. Several members interjected. Mr D.T. REDMAN : In relation to the Ord expansion project, $22 million of royalties for regions funds has been put into the East Kimberley development, which is, again, a significant investment in agriculture. The investment will cover 8 000 hectares to start with, and a further 6 000 hectares will be in the mix. One of the first decisions we made was about the saleyard investment strategy across the state. We spent $54 million on Muchea, and we have spent $21 million rolling out the rest of the saleyard strategy. That is yet another example of us making decisions. Members have also seen our commitment to drought reform in our rolling out of a drought solution pilot in Western Australia, despite last year being challenging. I will be heading off this afternoon to meet with Joe Ludwig, federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, to look at options for expanding the drought project into 2011–12. Several members interjected. Mr D.T. REDMAN : We made another significant decision, which was to transform the Department of Agriculture and Food in Western Australia so that it can to deliver to a sector that is contemporary. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Some members in this place may think my hearing is faulty; it is not true, member for Collie–Preston, and I am formally going to call you to order for the third time today. The Minister for Agriculture and Food has the call. Mr D.T. REDMAN : I will quickly mention a couple of other achievements. We have deregulated grain marketing in Western Australia and we have deregulated the chicken meat industry. In terms of biosecurity, we have put in place industry funding and regulations; we have built the Boulder quarantine yards; we have put extra funding into wild dog control in Western Australia; and we have set up the WA Beef Council and the Sheep Industry Leadership Council to look at whole-of-supply-chain shifts. We have also made significant market gains for wheat into Saudi Arabia; lupins into Indonesia; dairy into Singapore; and wine into China—the list goes on. We still have a lot to do. We want to regrow the wealth in Western Australia following the challenging seasons of the past couple of years by improving the business skills of the farming sector. We want to raise the profile of agriculture to attract the necessary people to deliver in that sector, and we want to continue with our drought reform plan by putting in place risk-mitigation products to deal with the challenges of drought and low rainfall. I am working with the Minister for Regional Development; Lands to look at pastoral reform, which has been talked about and talked about and talked about. We are putting it on the table and making the hard decisions to move down the path of reform. Opening up the vast potential of the Ord River region remains strong on our agenda. New facilities, including the Department of Agriculture and Food headquarters and the Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre, are significant projects that we will deliver in the remaining part of this government. There are huge challenges out there, which we are not shying away from—we are taking them face-on—but there are also huge opportunities. I am confident that we can capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead so that agriculture continues to make a positive contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of Western Australia for many decades to come.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Member for Collie–Preston, I formally call you to order for the second time today. Member for Cockburn, I call you for the first time today. Member for Joondalup, I do not need any advice at this stage; thank you. I formally call you to order for the second time today. Mr D.T. REDMAN : We can stand proud on a record of what we have achieved over the past two years. It is timely to remind people where we are at. The seminar and forum held this morning was exactly that, but it was also about putting some sort of vision going forward. When we quickly go over the past couple of years, the decision to allow Western Australian farmers access to technology that has been around for over 14 years and in over 148 million hectares around the world enables them to be competitive in a challenging international market. The decision to allow InterGrain to bring on a partner to have access to technology that will double the rate of genetic advance in plant breeding without genetic modification was very, very significant and it resulted in significant investment in the grain sector. Several members interjected. Mr D.T. REDMAN : In relation to the Ord expansion project, $22 million of royalties for regions funds has been put into the East Kimberley development, which is, again, a significant investment in agriculture. The investment will cover 8 000 hectares to start with, and a further 6 000 hectares will be in the mix. One of the first decisions we made was about the saleyard investment strategy across the state. We spent $54 million on Muchea, and we have spent $21 million rolling out the rest of the saleyard strategy. That is yet another example of us making decisions. Members have also seen our commitment to drought reform in our rolling out of a drought solution pilot in Western Australia, despite last year being challenging. I will be heading off this afternoon to meet with Joe Ludwig, federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, to look at options for expanding the drought project into 2011–12. Several members interjected. Mr D.T. REDMAN : We made another significant decision, which was to transform the Department of Agriculture and Food in Western Australia so that it can to deliver to a sector that is contemporary. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Some members in this place may think my hearing is faulty; it is not true, member for Collie–Preston, and I am formally going to call you to order for the third time today. The Minister for Agriculture and Food has the call. Mr D.T. REDMAN : I will quickly mention a couple of other achievements. We have deregulated grain marketing in Western Australia and we have deregulated the chicken meat industry. In terms of biosecurity, we have put in place industry funding and regulations; we have built the Boulder quarantine yards; we have put extra funding into wild dog control in Western Australia; and we have set up the WA Beef Council and the Sheep Industry Leadership Council to look at whole-of-supply-chain shifts. We have also made significant market gains for wheat into Saudi Arabia; lupins into Indonesia; dairy into Singapore; and wine into China—the list goes on. We still have a lot to do. We want to regrow the wealth in Western Australia following the challenging seasons of the past couple of years by improving the business skills of the farming sector. We want to raise the profile of agriculture to attract the necessary people to deliver in that sector, and we want to continue with our drought reform plan by putting in place risk-mitigation products to deal with the challenges of drought and low rainfall. I am working with the Minister for Regional Development; Lands to look at pastoral reform, which has been talked about and talked about and talked about. We are putting it on the table and making the hard decisions to move down the path of reform. Opening up the vast potential of the Ord River region remains strong on our agenda. New facilities, including the Department of Agriculture and Food headquarters and the Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre, are significant projects that we will deliver in the remaining part of this government. There are huge challenges out there, which we are not shying away from—we are taking them face-on—but there are also huge opportunities. I am confident that we can capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead so that agriculture continues to make a positive contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of Western Australia for many decades to come.
The SPEAKER : Member for Collie–Preston, I formally call you to order for the second time today. Member for Cockburn, I call you for the first time today. Member for Joondalup, I do not need any advice at this stage; thank you. I formally call you to order for the second time today. Mr D.T. REDMAN : We can stand proud on a record of what we have achieved over the past two years. It is timely to remind people where we are at. The seminar and forum held this morning was exactly that, but it was also about putting some sort of vision going forward. When we quickly go over the past couple of years, the decision to allow Western Australian farmers access to technology that has been around for over 14 years and in over 148 million hectares around the world enables them to be competitive in a challenging international market. The decision to allow InterGrain to bring on a partner to have access to technology that will double the rate of genetic advance in plant breeding without genetic modification was very, very significant and it resulted in significant investment in the grain sector. Several members interjected. Mr D.T. REDMAN : In relation to the Ord expansion project, $22 million of royalties for regions funds has been put into the East Kimberley development, which is, again, a significant investment in agriculture. The investment will cover 8 000 hectares to start with, and a further 6 000 hectares will be in the mix. One of the first decisions we made was about the saleyard investment strategy across the state. We spent $54 million on Muchea, and we have spent $21 million rolling out the rest of the saleyard strategy. That is yet another example of us making decisions. Members have also seen our commitment to drought reform in our rolling out of a drought solution pilot in Western Australia, despite last year being challenging. I will be heading off this afternoon to meet with Joe Ludwig, federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, to look at options for expanding the drought project into 2011–12. Several members interjected. Mr D.T. REDMAN : We made another significant decision, which was to transform the Department of Agriculture and Food in Western Australia so that it can to deliver to a sector that is contemporary. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Some members in this place may think my hearing is faulty; it is not true, member for Collie–Preston, and I am formally going to call you to order for the third time today. The Minister for Agriculture and Food has the call. Mr D.T. REDMAN : I will quickly mention a couple of other achievements. We have deregulated grain marketing in Western Australia and we have deregulated the chicken meat industry. In terms of biosecurity, we have put in place industry funding and regulations; we have built the Boulder quarantine yards; we have put extra funding into wild dog control in Western Australia; and we have set up the WA Beef Council and the Sheep Industry Leadership Council to look at whole-of-supply-chain shifts. We have also made significant market gains for wheat into Saudi Arabia; lupins into Indonesia; dairy into Singapore; and wine into China—the list goes on. We still have a lot to do. We want to regrow the wealth in Western Australia following the challenging seasons of the past couple of years by improving the business skills of the farming sector. We want to raise the profile of agriculture to attract the necessary people to deliver in that sector, and we want to continue with our drought reform plan by putting in place risk-mitigation products to deal with the challenges of drought and low rainfall. I am working with the Minister for Regional Development; Lands to look at pastoral reform, which has been talked about and talked about and talked about. We are putting it on the table and making the hard decisions to move down the path of reform. Opening up the vast potential of the Ord River region remains strong on our agenda. New facilities, including the Department of Agriculture and Food headquarters and the Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre, are significant projects that we will deliver in the remaining part of this government. There are huge challenges out there, which we are not shying away from—we are taking them face-on—but there are also huge opportunities. I am confident that we can capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead so that agriculture continues to make a positive contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of Western Australia for many decades to come.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : We can stand proud on a record of what we have achieved over the past two years. It is timely to remind people where we are at. The seminar and forum held this morning was exactly that, but it was also about putting some sort of vision going forward. When we quickly go over the past couple of years, the decision to allow Western Australian farmers access to technology that has been around for over 14 years and in over 148 million hectares around the world enables them to be competitive in a challenging international market. The decision to allow InterGrain to bring on a partner to have access to technology that will double the rate of genetic advance in plant breeding without genetic modification was very, very significant and it resulted in significant investment in the grain sector. Several members interjected. Mr D.T. REDMAN : In relation to the Ord expansion project, $22 million of royalties for regions funds has been put into the East Kimberley development, which is, again, a significant investment in agriculture. The investment will cover 8 000 hectares to start with, and a further 6 000 hectares will be in the mix. One of the first decisions we made was about the saleyard investment strategy across the state. We spent $54 million on Muchea, and we have spent $21 million rolling out the rest of the saleyard strategy. That is yet another example of us making decisions. Members have also seen our commitment to drought reform in our rolling out of a drought solution pilot in Western Australia, despite last year being challenging. I will be heading off this afternoon to meet with Joe Ludwig, federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, to look at options for expanding the drought project into 2011–12. Several members interjected. Mr D.T. REDMAN : We made another significant decision, which was to transform the Department of Agriculture and Food in Western Australia so that it can to deliver to a sector that is contemporary. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Some members in this place may think my hearing is faulty; it is not true, member for Collie–Preston, and I am formally going to call you to order for the third time today. The Minister for Agriculture and Food has the call. Mr D.T. REDMAN : I will quickly mention a couple of other achievements. We have deregulated grain marketing in Western Australia and we have deregulated the chicken meat industry. In terms of biosecurity, we have put in place industry funding and regulations; we have built the Boulder quarantine yards; we have put extra funding into wild dog control in Western Australia; and we have set up the WA Beef Council and the Sheep Industry Leadership Council to look at whole-of-supply-chain shifts. We have also made significant market gains for wheat into Saudi Arabia; lupins into Indonesia; dairy into Singapore; and wine into China—the list goes on. We still have a lot to do. We want to regrow the wealth in Western Australia following the challenging seasons of the past couple of years by improving the business skills of the farming sector. We want to raise the profile of agriculture to attract the necessary people to deliver in that sector, and we want to continue with our drought reform plan by putting in place risk-mitigation products to deal with the challenges of drought and low rainfall. I am working with the Minister for Regional Development; Lands to look at pastoral reform, which has been talked about and talked about and talked about. We are putting it on the table and making the hard decisions to move down the path of reform. Opening up the vast potential of the Ord River region remains strong on our agenda. New facilities, including the Department of Agriculture and Food headquarters and the Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre, are significant projects that we will deliver in the remaining part of this government. There are huge challenges out there, which we are not shying away from—we are taking them face-on—but there are also huge opportunities. I am confident that we can capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead so that agriculture continues to make a positive contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of Western Australia for many decades to come.
Several members interjected. Mr D.T. REDMAN : In relation to the Ord expansion project, $22 million of royalties for regions funds has been put into the East Kimberley development, which is, again, a significant investment in agriculture. The investment will cover 8 000 hectares to start with, and a further 6 000 hectares will be in the mix. One of the first decisions we made was about the saleyard investment strategy across the state. We spent $54 million on Muchea, and we have spent $21 million rolling out the rest of the saleyard strategy. That is yet another example of us making decisions. Members have also seen our commitment to drought reform in our rolling out of a drought solution pilot in Western Australia, despite last year being challenging. I will be heading off this afternoon to meet with Joe Ludwig, federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, to look at options for expanding the drought project into 2011–12. Several members interjected. Mr D.T. REDMAN : We made another significant decision, which was to transform the Department of Agriculture and Food in Western Australia so that it can to deliver to a sector that is contemporary. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Some members in this place may think my hearing is faulty; it is not true, member for Collie–Preston, and I am formally going to call you to order for the third time today. The Minister for Agriculture and Food has the call. Mr D.T. REDMAN : I will quickly mention a couple of other achievements. We have deregulated grain marketing in Western Australia and we have deregulated the chicken meat industry. In terms of biosecurity, we have put in place industry funding and regulations; we have built the Boulder quarantine yards; we have put extra funding into wild dog control in Western Australia; and we have set up the WA Beef Council and the Sheep Industry Leadership Council to look at whole-of-supply-chain shifts. We have also made significant market gains for wheat into Saudi Arabia; lupins into Indonesia; dairy into Singapore; and wine into China—the list goes on. We still have a lot to do. We want to regrow the wealth in Western Australia following the challenging seasons of the past couple of years by improving the business skills of the farming sector. We want to raise the profile of agriculture to attract the necessary people to deliver in that sector, and we want to continue with our drought reform plan by putting in place risk-mitigation products to deal with the challenges of drought and low rainfall. I am working with the Minister for Regional Development; Lands to look at pastoral reform, which has been talked about and talked about and talked about. We are putting it on the table and making the hard decisions to move down the path of reform. Opening up the vast potential of the Ord River region remains strong on our agenda. New facilities, including the Department of Agriculture and Food headquarters and the Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre, are significant projects that we will deliver in the remaining part of this government. There are huge challenges out there, which we are not shying away from—we are taking them face-on—but there are also huge opportunities. I am confident that we can capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead so that agriculture continues to make a positive contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of Western Australia for many decades to come.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : In relation to the Ord expansion project, $22 million of royalties for regions funds has been put into the East Kimberley development, which is, again, a significant investment in agriculture. The investment will cover 8 000 hectares to start with, and a further 6 000 hectares will be in the mix. One of the first decisions we made was about the saleyard investment strategy across the state. We spent $54 million on Muchea, and we have spent $21 million rolling out the rest of the saleyard strategy. That is yet another example of us making decisions. Members have also seen our commitment to drought reform in our rolling out of a drought solution pilot in Western Australia, despite last year being challenging. I will be heading off this afternoon to meet with Joe Ludwig, federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, to look at options for expanding the drought project into 2011–12. Several members interjected. Mr D.T. REDMAN : We made another significant decision, which was to transform the Department of Agriculture and Food in Western Australia so that it can to deliver to a sector that is contemporary. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Some members in this place may think my hearing is faulty; it is not true, member for Collie–Preston, and I am formally going to call you to order for the third time today. The Minister for Agriculture and Food has the call. Mr D.T. REDMAN : I will quickly mention a couple of other achievements. We have deregulated grain marketing in Western Australia and we have deregulated the chicken meat industry. In terms of biosecurity, we have put in place industry funding and regulations; we have built the Boulder quarantine yards; we have put extra funding into wild dog control in Western Australia; and we have set up the WA Beef Council and the Sheep Industry Leadership Council to look at whole-of-supply-chain shifts. We have also made significant market gains for wheat into Saudi Arabia; lupins into Indonesia; dairy into Singapore; and wine into China—the list goes on. We still have a lot to do. We want to regrow the wealth in Western Australia following the challenging seasons of the past couple of years by improving the business skills of the farming sector. We want to raise the profile of agriculture to attract the necessary people to deliver in that sector, and we want to continue with our drought reform plan by putting in place risk-mitigation products to deal with the challenges of drought and low rainfall. I am working with the Minister for Regional Development; Lands to look at pastoral reform, which has been talked about and talked about and talked about. We are putting it on the table and making the hard decisions to move down the path of reform. Opening up the vast potential of the Ord River region remains strong on our agenda. New facilities, including the Department of Agriculture and Food headquarters and the Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre, are significant projects that we will deliver in the remaining part of this government. There are huge challenges out there, which we are not shying away from—we are taking them face-on—but there are also huge opportunities. I am confident that we can capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead so that agriculture continues to make a positive contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of Western Australia for many decades to come.
Several members interjected. Mr D.T. REDMAN : We made another significant decision, which was to transform the Department of Agriculture and Food in Western Australia so that it can to deliver to a sector that is contemporary. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Some members in this place may think my hearing is faulty; it is not true, member for Collie–Preston, and I am formally going to call you to order for the third time today. The Minister for Agriculture and Food has the call. Mr D.T. REDMAN : I will quickly mention a couple of other achievements. We have deregulated grain marketing in Western Australia and we have deregulated the chicken meat industry. In terms of biosecurity, we have put in place industry funding and regulations; we have built the Boulder quarantine yards; we have put extra funding into wild dog control in Western Australia; and we have set up the WA Beef Council and the Sheep Industry Leadership Council to look at whole-of-supply-chain shifts. We have also made significant market gains for wheat into Saudi Arabia; lupins into Indonesia; dairy into Singapore; and wine into China—the list goes on. We still have a lot to do. We want to regrow the wealth in Western Australia following the challenging seasons of the past couple of years by improving the business skills of the farming sector. We want to raise the profile of agriculture to attract the necessary people to deliver in that sector, and we want to continue with our drought reform plan by putting in place risk-mitigation products to deal with the challenges of drought and low rainfall. I am working with the Minister for Regional Development; Lands to look at pastoral reform, which has been talked about and talked about and talked about. We are putting it on the table and making the hard decisions to move down the path of reform. Opening up the vast potential of the Ord River region remains strong on our agenda. New facilities, including the Department of Agriculture and Food headquarters and the Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre, are significant projects that we will deliver in the remaining part of this government. There are huge challenges out there, which we are not shying away from—we are taking them face-on—but there are also huge opportunities. I am confident that we can capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead so that agriculture continues to make a positive contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of Western Australia for many decades to come.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : We made another significant decision, which was to transform the Department of Agriculture and Food in Western Australia so that it can to deliver to a sector that is contemporary. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Some members in this place may think my hearing is faulty; it is not true, member for Collie–Preston, and I am formally going to call you to order for the third time today. The Minister for Agriculture and Food has the call. Mr D.T. REDMAN : I will quickly mention a couple of other achievements. We have deregulated grain marketing in Western Australia and we have deregulated the chicken meat industry. In terms of biosecurity, we have put in place industry funding and regulations; we have built the Boulder quarantine yards; we have put extra funding into wild dog control in Western Australia; and we have set up the WA Beef Council and the Sheep Industry Leadership Council to look at whole-of-supply-chain shifts. We have also made significant market gains for wheat into Saudi Arabia; lupins into Indonesia; dairy into Singapore; and wine into China—the list goes on. We still have a lot to do. We want to regrow the wealth in Western Australia following the challenging seasons of the past couple of years by improving the business skills of the farming sector. We want to raise the profile of agriculture to attract the necessary people to deliver in that sector, and we want to continue with our drought reform plan by putting in place risk-mitigation products to deal with the challenges of drought and low rainfall. I am working with the Minister for Regional Development; Lands to look at pastoral reform, which has been talked about and talked about and talked about. We are putting it on the table and making the hard decisions to move down the path of reform. Opening up the vast potential of the Ord River region remains strong on our agenda. New facilities, including the Department of Agriculture and Food headquarters and the Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre, are significant projects that we will deliver in the remaining part of this government. There are huge challenges out there, which we are not shying away from—we are taking them face-on—but there are also huge opportunities. I am confident that we can capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead so that agriculture continues to make a positive contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of Western Australia for many decades to come.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Some members in this place may think my hearing is faulty; it is not true, member for Collie–Preston, and I am formally going to call you to order for the third time today. The Minister for Agriculture and Food has the call. Mr D.T. REDMAN : I will quickly mention a couple of other achievements. We have deregulated grain marketing in Western Australia and we have deregulated the chicken meat industry. In terms of biosecurity, we have put in place industry funding and regulations; we have built the Boulder quarantine yards; we have put extra funding into wild dog control in Western Australia; and we have set up the WA Beef Council and the Sheep Industry Leadership Council to look at whole-of-supply-chain shifts. We have also made significant market gains for wheat into Saudi Arabia; lupins into Indonesia; dairy into Singapore; and wine into China—the list goes on. We still have a lot to do. We want to regrow the wealth in Western Australia following the challenging seasons of the past couple of years by improving the business skills of the farming sector. We want to raise the profile of agriculture to attract the necessary people to deliver in that sector, and we want to continue with our drought reform plan by putting in place risk-mitigation products to deal with the challenges of drought and low rainfall. I am working with the Minister for Regional Development; Lands to look at pastoral reform, which has been talked about and talked about and talked about. We are putting it on the table and making the hard decisions to move down the path of reform. Opening up the vast potential of the Ord River region remains strong on our agenda. New facilities, including the Department of Agriculture and Food headquarters and the Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre, are significant projects that we will deliver in the remaining part of this government. There are huge challenges out there, which we are not shying away from—we are taking them face-on—but there are also huge opportunities. I am confident that we can capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead so that agriculture continues to make a positive contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of Western Australia for many decades to come.
The SPEAKER : Some members in this place may think my hearing is faulty; it is not true, member for Collie–Preston, and I am formally going to call you to order for the third time today. The Minister for Agriculture and Food has the call. Mr D.T. REDMAN : I will quickly mention a couple of other achievements. We have deregulated grain marketing in Western Australia and we have deregulated the chicken meat industry. In terms of biosecurity, we have put in place industry funding and regulations; we have built the Boulder quarantine yards; we have put extra funding into wild dog control in Western Australia; and we have set up the WA Beef Council and the Sheep Industry Leadership Council to look at whole-of-supply-chain shifts. We have also made significant market gains for wheat into Saudi Arabia; lupins into Indonesia; dairy into Singapore; and wine into China—the list goes on. We still have a lot to do. We want to regrow the wealth in Western Australia following the challenging seasons of the past couple of years by improving the business skills of the farming sector. We want to raise the profile of agriculture to attract the necessary people to deliver in that sector, and we want to continue with our drought reform plan by putting in place risk-mitigation products to deal with the challenges of drought and low rainfall. I am working with the Minister for Regional Development; Lands to look at pastoral reform, which has been talked about and talked about and talked about. We are putting it on the table and making the hard decisions to move down the path of reform. Opening up the vast potential of the Ord River region remains strong on our agenda. New facilities, including the Department of Agriculture and Food headquarters and the Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre, are significant projects that we will deliver in the remaining part of this government. There are huge challenges out there, which we are not shying away from—we are taking them face-on—but there are also huge opportunities. I am confident that we can capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead so that agriculture continues to make a positive contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of Western Australia for many decades to come.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : I will quickly mention a couple of other achievements. We have deregulated grain marketing in Western Australia and we have deregulated the chicken meat industry. In terms of biosecurity, we have put in place industry funding and regulations; we have built the Boulder quarantine yards; we have put extra funding into wild dog control in Western Australia; and we have set up the WA Beef Council and the Sheep Industry Leadership Council to look at whole-of-supply-chain shifts. We have also made significant market gains for wheat into Saudi Arabia; lupins into Indonesia; dairy into Singapore; and wine into China—the list goes on. We still have a lot to do. We want to regrow the wealth in Western Australia following the challenging seasons of the past couple of years by improving the business skills of the farming sector. We want to raise the profile of agriculture to attract the necessary people to deliver in that sector, and we want to continue with our drought reform plan by putting in place risk-mitigation products to deal with the challenges of drought and low rainfall. I am working with the Minister for Regional Development; Lands to look at pastoral reform, which has been talked about and talked about and talked about. We are putting it on the table and making the hard decisions to move down the path of reform. Opening up the vast potential of the Ord River region remains strong on our agenda. New facilities, including the Department of Agriculture and Food headquarters and the Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre, are significant projects that we will deliver in the remaining part of this government. There are huge challenges out there, which we are not shying away from—we are taking them face-on—but there are also huge opportunities. I am confident that we can capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead so that agriculture continues to make a positive contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of Western Australia for many decades to come.
We still have a lot to do. We want to regrow the wealth in Western Australia following the challenging seasons of the past couple of years by improving the business skills of the farming sector. We want to raise the profile of agriculture to attract the necessary people to deliver in that sector, and we want to continue with our drought reform plan by putting in place risk-mitigation products to deal with the challenges of drought and low rainfall. I am working with the Minister for Regional Development; Lands to look at pastoral reform, which has been talked about and talked about and talked about. We are putting it on the table and making the hard decisions to move down the path of reform. Opening up the vast potential of the Ord River region remains strong on our agenda. New facilities, including the Department of Agriculture and Food headquarters and the Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre, are significant projects that we will deliver in the remaining part of this government. There are huge challenges out there, which we are not shying away from—we are taking them face-on—but there are also huge opportunities. I am confident that we can capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead so that agriculture continues to make a positive contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of Western Australia for many decades to come.
There are huge challenges out there, which we are not shying away from—we are taking them face-on—but there are also huge opportunities. I am confident that we can capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead so that agriculture continues to make a positive contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of Western Australia for many decades to come.
Mr D.T. REDMAN replied: I thank the member for Murray–Wellington for the question. Quite rightly, on the back of the Premier’s comments, this government makes decisions! When we first came into government, we laid out a priority plan for delivering on agriculture in Western Australia. I have never seen anything in black and white from the opposition in terms of any sort of vision for agriculture, any sort of plan for the sector or any sort of significant investment in the sector. We will be measured on our decisions. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Member for Collie–Preston, I formally call you to order for the second time today. Member for Cockburn, I call you for the first time today. Member for Joondalup, I do not need any advice at this stage; thank you. I formally call you to order for the second time today. Mr D.T. REDMAN : We can stand proud on a record of what we have achieved over the past two years. It is timely to remind people where we are at. The seminar and forum held this morning was exactly that, but it was also about putting some sort of vision going forward. When we quickly go over the past couple of years, the decision to allow Western Australian farmers access to technology that has been around for over 14 years and in over 148 million hectares around the world enables them to be competitive in a challenging international market. The decision to allow InterGrain to bring on a partner to have access to technology that will double the rate of genetic advance in plant breeding without genetic modification was very, very significant and it resulted in significant investment in the grain sector. Several members interjected. Mr D.T. REDMAN : In relation to the Ord expansion project, $22 million of royalties for regions funds has been put into the East Kimberley development, which is, again, a significant investment in agriculture. The investment will cover 8 000 hectares to start with, and a further 6 000 hectares will be in the mix. One of the first decisions we made was about the saleyard investment strategy across the state. We spent $54 million on Muchea, and we have spent $21 million rolling out the rest of the saleyard strategy. That is yet another example of us making decisions. Members have also seen our commitment to drought reform in our rolling out of a drought solution pilot in Western Australia, despite last year being challenging. I will be heading off this afternoon to meet with Joe Ludwig, federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, to look at options for expanding the drought project into 2011–12. Several members interjected. Mr D.T. REDMAN : We made another significant decision, which was to transform the Department of Agriculture and Food in Western Australia so that it can to deliver to a sector that is contemporary. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Some members in this place may think my hearing is faulty; it is not true, member for Collie–Preston, and I am formally going to call you to order for the third time today. The Minister for Agriculture and Food has the call. Mr D.T. REDMAN : I will quickly mention a couple of other achievements. We have deregulated grain marketing in Western Australia and we have deregulated the chicken meat industry. In terms of biosecurity, we have put in place industry funding and regulations; we have built the Boulder quarantine yards; we have put extra funding into wild dog control in Western Australia; and we have set up the WA Beef Council and the Sheep Industry Leadership Council to look at whole-of-supply-chain shifts. We have also made significant market gains for wheat into Saudi Arabia; lupins into Indonesia; dairy into Singapore; and wine into China—the list goes on. We still have a lot to do. We want to regrow the wealth in Western Australia following the challenging seasons of the past couple of years by improving the business skills of the farming sector. We want to raise the profile of agriculture to attract the necessary people to deliver in that sector, and we want to continue with our drought reform plan by putting in place risk-mitigation products to deal with the challenges of drought and low rainfall. I am working with the Minister for Regional Development; Lands to look at pastoral reform, which has been talked about and talked about and talked about. We are putting it on the table and making the hard decisions to move down the path of reform. Opening up the vast potential of the Ord River region remains strong on our agenda. New facilities, including the Department of Agriculture and Food headquarters and the Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre, are significant projects that we will deliver in the remaining part of this government. There are huge challenges out there, which we are not shying away from—we are taking them face-on—but there are also huge opportunities. I am confident that we can capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead so that agriculture continues to make a positive contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of Western Australia for many decades to come.
I thank the member for Murray–Wellington for the question. Quite rightly, on the back of the Premier’s comments, this government makes decisions! When we first came into government, we laid out a priority plan for delivering on agriculture in Western Australia. I have never seen anything in black and white from the opposition in terms of any sort of vision for agriculture, any sort of plan for the sector or any sort of significant investment in the sector. We will be measured on our decisions. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Member for Collie–Preston, I formally call you to order for the second time today. Member for Cockburn, I call you for the first time today. Member for Joondalup, I do not need any advice at this stage; thank you. I formally call you to order for the second time today. Mr D.T. REDMAN : We can stand proud on a record of what we have achieved over the past two years. It is timely to remind people where we are at. The seminar and forum held this morning was exactly that, but it was also about putting some sort of vision going forward. When we quickly go over the past couple of years, the decision to allow Western Australian farmers access to technology that has been around for over 14 years and in over 148 million hectares around the world enables them to be competitive in a challenging international market. The decision to allow InterGrain to bring on a partner to have access to technology that will double the rate of genetic advance in plant breeding without genetic modification was very, very significant and it resulted in significant investment in the grain sector. Several members interjected. Mr D.T. REDMAN : In relation to the Ord expansion project, $22 million of royalties for regions funds has been put into the East Kimberley development, which is, again, a significant investment in agriculture. The investment will cover 8 000 hectares to start with, and a further 6 000 hectares will be in the mix. One of the first decisions we made was about the saleyard investment strategy across the state. We spent $54 million on Muchea, and we have spent $21 million rolling out the rest of the saleyard strategy. That is yet another example of us making decisions. Members have also seen our commitment to drought reform in our rolling out of a drought solution pilot in Western Australia, despite last year being challenging. I will be heading off this afternoon to meet with Joe Ludwig, federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, to look at options for expanding the drought project into 2011–12. Several members interjected. Mr D.T. REDMAN : We made another significant decision, which was to transform the Department of Agriculture and Food in Western Australia so that it can to deliver to a sector that is contemporary. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Some members in this place may think my hearing is faulty; it is not true, member for Collie–Preston, and I am formally going to call you to order for the third time today. The Minister for Agriculture and Food has the call. Mr D.T. REDMAN : I will quickly mention a couple of other achievements. We have deregulated grain marketing in Western Australia and we have deregulated the chicken meat industry. In terms of biosecurity, we have put in place industry funding and regulations; we have built the Boulder quarantine yards; we have put extra funding into wild dog control in Western Australia; and we have set up the WA Beef Council and the Sheep Industry Leadership Council to look at whole-of-supply-chain shifts. We have also made significant market gains for wheat into Saudi Arabia; lupins into Indonesia; dairy into Singapore; and wine into China—the list goes on. We still have a lot to do. We want to regrow the wealth in Western Australia following the challenging seasons of the past couple of years by improving the business skills of the farming sector. We want to raise the profile of agriculture to attract the necessary people to deliver in that sector, and we want to continue with our drought reform plan by putting in place risk-mitigation products to deal with the challenges of drought and low rainfall. I am working with the Minister for Regional Development; Lands to look at pastoral reform, which has been talked about and talked about and talked about. We are putting it on the table and making the hard decisions to move down the path of reform. Opening up the vast potential of the Ord River region remains strong on our agenda. New facilities, including the Department of Agriculture and Food headquarters and the Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre, are significant projects that we will deliver in the remaining part of this government. There are huge challenges out there, which we are not shying away from—we are taking them face-on—but there are also huge opportunities. I am confident that we can capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead so that agriculture continues to make a positive contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of Western Australia for many decades to come.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Member for Collie–Preston, I formally call you to order for the second time today. Member for Cockburn, I call you for the first time today. Member for Joondalup, I do not need any advice at this stage; thank you. I formally call you to order for the second time today. Mr D.T. REDMAN : We can stand proud on a record of what we have achieved over the past two years. It is timely to remind people where we are at. The seminar and forum held this morning was exactly that, but it was also about putting some sort of vision going forward. When we quickly go over the past couple of years, the decision to allow Western Australian farmers access to technology that has been around for over 14 years and in over 148 million hectares around the world enables them to be competitive in a challenging international market. The decision to allow InterGrain to bring on a partner to have access to technology that will double the rate of genetic advance in plant breeding without genetic modification was very, very significant and it resulted in significant investment in the grain sector. Several members interjected. Mr D.T. REDMAN : In relation to the Ord expansion project, $22 million of royalties for regions funds has been put into the East Kimberley development, which is, again, a significant investment in agriculture. The investment will cover 8 000 hectares to start with, and a further 6 000 hectares will be in the mix. One of the first decisions we made was about the saleyard investment strategy across the state. We spent $54 million on Muchea, and we have spent $21 million rolling out the rest of the saleyard strategy. That is yet another example of us making decisions. Members have also seen our commitment to drought reform in our rolling out of a drought solution pilot in Western Australia, despite last year being challenging. I will be heading off this afternoon to meet with Joe Ludwig, federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, to look at options for expanding the drought project into 2011–12. Several members interjected. Mr D.T. REDMAN : We made another significant decision, which was to transform the Department of Agriculture and Food in Western Australia so that it can to deliver to a sector that is contemporary. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Some members in this place may think my hearing is faulty; it is not true, member for Collie–Preston, and I am formally going to call you to order for the third time today. The Minister for Agriculture and Food has the call. Mr D.T. REDMAN : I will quickly mention a couple of other achievements. We have deregulated grain marketing in Western Australia and we have deregulated the chicken meat industry. In terms of biosecurity, we have put in place industry funding and regulations; we have built the Boulder quarantine yards; we have put extra funding into wild dog control in Western Australia; and we have set up the WA Beef Council and the Sheep Industry Leadership Council to look at whole-of-supply-chain shifts. We have also made significant market gains for wheat into Saudi Arabia; lupins into Indonesia; dairy into Singapore; and wine into China—the list goes on. We still have a lot to do. We want to regrow the wealth in Western Australia following the challenging seasons of the past couple of years by improving the business skills of the farming sector. We want to raise the profile of agriculture to attract the necessary people to deliver in that sector, and we want to continue with our drought reform plan by putting in place risk-mitigation products to deal with the challenges of drought and low rainfall. I am working with the Minister for Regional Development; Lands to look at pastoral reform, which has been talked about and talked about and talked about. We are putting it on the table and making the hard decisions to move down the path of reform. Opening up the vast potential of the Ord River region remains strong on our agenda. New facilities, including the Department of Agriculture and Food headquarters and the Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre, are significant projects that we will deliver in the remaining part of this government. There are huge challenges out there, which we are not shying away from—we are taking them face-on—but there are also huge opportunities. I am confident that we can capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead so that agriculture continues to make a positive contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of Western Australia for many decades to come.
The SPEAKER : Member for Collie–Preston, I formally call you to order for the second time today. Member for Cockburn, I call you for the first time today. Member for Joondalup, I do not need any advice at this stage; thank you. I formally call you to order for the second time today. Mr D.T. REDMAN : We can stand proud on a record of what we have achieved over the past two years. It is timely to remind people where we are at. The seminar and forum held this morning was exactly that, but it was also about putting some sort of vision going forward. When we quickly go over the past couple of years, the decision to allow Western Australian farmers access to technology that has been around for over 14 years and in over 148 million hectares around the world enables them to be competitive in a challenging international market. The decision to allow InterGrain to bring on a partner to have access to technology that will double the rate of genetic advance in plant breeding without genetic modification was very, very significant and it resulted in significant investment in the grain sector. Several members interjected. Mr D.T. REDMAN : In relation to the Ord expansion project, $22 million of royalties for regions funds has been put into the East Kimberley development, which is, again, a significant investment in agriculture. The investment will cover 8 000 hectares to start with, and a further 6 000 hectares will be in the mix. One of the first decisions we made was about the saleyard investment strategy across the state. We spent $54 million on Muchea, and we have spent $21 million rolling out the rest of the saleyard strategy. That is yet another example of us making decisions. Members have also seen our commitment to drought reform in our rolling out of a drought solution pilot in Western Australia, despite last year being challenging. I will be heading off this afternoon to meet with Joe Ludwig, federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, to look at options for expanding the drought project into 2011–12. Several members interjected. Mr D.T. REDMAN : We made another significant decision, which was to transform the Department of Agriculture and Food in Western Australia so that it can to deliver to a sector that is contemporary. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Some members in this place may think my hearing is faulty; it is not true, member for Collie–Preston, and I am formally going to call you to order for the third time today. The Minister for Agriculture and Food has the call. Mr D.T. REDMAN : I will quickly mention a couple of other achievements. We have deregulated grain marketing in Western Australia and we have deregulated the chicken meat industry. In terms of biosecurity, we have put in place industry funding and regulations; we have built the Boulder quarantine yards; we have put extra funding into wild dog control in Western Australia; and we have set up the WA Beef Council and the Sheep Industry Leadership Council to look at whole-of-supply-chain shifts. We have also made significant market gains for wheat into Saudi Arabia; lupins into Indonesia; dairy into Singapore; and wine into China—the list goes on. We still have a lot to do. We want to regrow the wealth in Western Australia following the challenging seasons of the past couple of years by improving the business skills of the farming sector. We want to raise the profile of agriculture to attract the necessary people to deliver in that sector, and we want to continue with our drought reform plan by putting in place risk-mitigation products to deal with the challenges of drought and low rainfall. I am working with the Minister for Regional Development; Lands to look at pastoral reform, which has been talked about and talked about and talked about. We are putting it on the table and making the hard decisions to move down the path of reform. Opening up the vast potential of the Ord River region remains strong on our agenda. New facilities, including the Department of Agriculture and Food headquarters and the Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre, are significant projects that we will deliver in the remaining part of this government. There are huge challenges out there, which we are not shying away from—we are taking them face-on—but there are also huge opportunities. I am confident that we can capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead so that agriculture continues to make a positive contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of Western Australia for many decades to come.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : We can stand proud on a record of what we have achieved over the past two years. It is timely to remind people where we are at. The seminar and forum held this morning was exactly that, but it was also about putting some sort of vision going forward. When we quickly go over the past couple of years, the decision to allow Western Australian farmers access to technology that has been around for over 14 years and in over 148 million hectares around the world enables them to be competitive in a challenging international market. The decision to allow InterGrain to bring on a partner to have access to technology that will double the rate of genetic advance in plant breeding without genetic modification was very, very significant and it resulted in significant investment in the grain sector. Several members interjected. Mr D.T. REDMAN : In relation to the Ord expansion project, $22 million of royalties for regions funds has been put into the East Kimberley development, which is, again, a significant investment in agriculture. The investment will cover 8 000 hectares to start with, and a further 6 000 hectares will be in the mix. One of the first decisions we made was about the saleyard investment strategy across the state. We spent $54 million on Muchea, and we have spent $21 million rolling out the rest of the saleyard strategy. That is yet another example of us making decisions. Members have also seen our commitment to drought reform in our rolling out of a drought solution pilot in Western Australia, despite last year being challenging. I will be heading off this afternoon to meet with Joe Ludwig, federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, to look at options for expanding the drought project into 2011–12. Several members interjected. Mr D.T. REDMAN : We made another significant decision, which was to transform the Department of Agriculture and Food in Western Australia so that it can to deliver to a sector that is contemporary. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Some members in this place may think my hearing is faulty; it is not true, member for Collie–Preston, and I am formally going to call you to order for the third time today. The Minister for Agriculture and Food has the call. Mr D.T. REDMAN : I will quickly mention a couple of other achievements. We have deregulated grain marketing in Western Australia and we have deregulated the chicken meat industry. In terms of biosecurity, we have put in place industry funding and regulations; we have built the Boulder quarantine yards; we have put extra funding into wild dog control in Western Australia; and we have set up the WA Beef Council and the Sheep Industry Leadership Council to look at whole-of-supply-chain shifts. We have also made significant market gains for wheat into Saudi Arabia; lupins into Indonesia; dairy into Singapore; and wine into China—the list goes on. We still have a lot to do. We want to regrow the wealth in Western Australia following the challenging seasons of the past couple of years by improving the business skills of the farming sector. We want to raise the profile of agriculture to attract the necessary people to deliver in that sector, and we want to continue with our drought reform plan by putting in place risk-mitigation products to deal with the challenges of drought and low rainfall. I am working with the Minister for Regional Development; Lands to look at pastoral reform, which has been talked about and talked about and talked about. We are putting it on the table and making the hard decisions to move down the path of reform. Opening up the vast potential of the Ord River region remains strong on our agenda. New facilities, including the Department of Agriculture and Food headquarters and the Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre, are significant projects that we will deliver in the remaining part of this government. There are huge challenges out there, which we are not shying away from—we are taking them face-on—but there are also huge opportunities. I am confident that we can capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead so that agriculture continues to make a positive contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of Western Australia for many decades to come.
Several members interjected. Mr D.T. REDMAN : In relation to the Ord expansion project, $22 million of royalties for regions funds has been put into the East Kimberley development, which is, again, a significant investment in agriculture. The investment will cover 8 000 hectares to start with, and a further 6 000 hectares will be in the mix. One of the first decisions we made was about the saleyard investment strategy across the state. We spent $54 million on Muchea, and we have spent $21 million rolling out the rest of the saleyard strategy. That is yet another example of us making decisions. Members have also seen our commitment to drought reform in our rolling out of a drought solution pilot in Western Australia, despite last year being challenging. I will be heading off this afternoon to meet with Joe Ludwig, federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, to look at options for expanding the drought project into 2011–12. Several members interjected. Mr D.T. REDMAN : We made another significant decision, which was to transform the Department of Agriculture and Food in Western Australia so that it can to deliver to a sector that is contemporary. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Some members in this place may think my hearing is faulty; it is not true, member for Collie–Preston, and I am formally going to call you to order for the third time today. The Minister for Agriculture and Food has the call. Mr D.T. REDMAN : I will quickly mention a couple of other achievements. We have deregulated grain marketing in Western Australia and we have deregulated the chicken meat industry. In terms of biosecurity, we have put in place industry funding and regulations; we have built the Boulder quarantine yards; we have put extra funding into wild dog control in Western Australia; and we have set up the WA Beef Council and the Sheep Industry Leadership Council to look at whole-of-supply-chain shifts. We have also made significant market gains for wheat into Saudi Arabia; lupins into Indonesia; dairy into Singapore; and wine into China—the list goes on. We still have a lot to do. We want to regrow the wealth in Western Australia following the challenging seasons of the past couple of years by improving the business skills of the farming sector. We want to raise the profile of agriculture to attract the necessary people to deliver in that sector, and we want to continue with our drought reform plan by putting in place risk-mitigation products to deal with the challenges of drought and low rainfall. I am working with the Minister for Regional Development; Lands to look at pastoral reform, which has been talked about and talked about and talked about. We are putting it on the table and making the hard decisions to move down the path of reform. Opening up the vast potential of the Ord River region remains strong on our agenda. New facilities, including the Department of Agriculture and Food headquarters and the Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre, are significant projects that we will deliver in the remaining part of this government. There are huge challenges out there, which we are not shying away from—we are taking them face-on—but there are also huge opportunities. I am confident that we can capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead so that agriculture continues to make a positive contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of Western Australia for many decades to come.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : In relation to the Ord expansion project, $22 million of royalties for regions funds has been put into the East Kimberley development, which is, again, a significant investment in agriculture. The investment will cover 8 000 hectares to start with, and a further 6 000 hectares will be in the mix. One of the first decisions we made was about the saleyard investment strategy across the state. We spent $54 million on Muchea, and we have spent $21 million rolling out the rest of the saleyard strategy. That is yet another example of us making decisions. Members have also seen our commitment to drought reform in our rolling out of a drought solution pilot in Western Australia, despite last year being challenging. I will be heading off this afternoon to meet with Joe Ludwig, federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, to look at options for expanding the drought project into 2011–12. Several members interjected. Mr D.T. REDMAN : We made another significant decision, which was to transform the Department of Agriculture and Food in Western Australia so that it can to deliver to a sector that is contemporary. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Some members in this place may think my hearing is faulty; it is not true, member for Collie–Preston, and I am formally going to call you to order for the third time today. The Minister for Agriculture and Food has the call. Mr D.T. REDMAN : I will quickly mention a couple of other achievements. We have deregulated grain marketing in Western Australia and we have deregulated the chicken meat industry. In terms of biosecurity, we have put in place industry funding and regulations; we have built the Boulder quarantine yards; we have put extra funding into wild dog control in Western Australia; and we have set up the WA Beef Council and the Sheep Industry Leadership Council to look at whole-of-supply-chain shifts. We have also made significant market gains for wheat into Saudi Arabia; lupins into Indonesia; dairy into Singapore; and wine into China—the list goes on. We still have a lot to do. We want to regrow the wealth in Western Australia following the challenging seasons of the past couple of years by improving the business skills of the farming sector. We want to raise the profile of agriculture to attract the necessary people to deliver in that sector, and we want to continue with our drought reform plan by putting in place risk-mitigation products to deal with the challenges of drought and low rainfall. I am working with the Minister for Regional Development; Lands to look at pastoral reform, which has been talked about and talked about and talked about. We are putting it on the table and making the hard decisions to move down the path of reform. Opening up the vast potential of the Ord River region remains strong on our agenda. New facilities, including the Department of Agriculture and Food headquarters and the Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre, are significant projects that we will deliver in the remaining part of this government. There are huge challenges out there, which we are not shying away from—we are taking them face-on—but there are also huge opportunities. I am confident that we can capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead so that agriculture continues to make a positive contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of Western Australia for many decades to come.
Several members interjected. Mr D.T. REDMAN : We made another significant decision, which was to transform the Department of Agriculture and Food in Western Australia so that it can to deliver to a sector that is contemporary. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Some members in this place may think my hearing is faulty; it is not true, member for Collie–Preston, and I am formally going to call you to order for the third time today. The Minister for Agriculture and Food has the call. Mr D.T. REDMAN : I will quickly mention a couple of other achievements. We have deregulated grain marketing in Western Australia and we have deregulated the chicken meat industry. In terms of biosecurity, we have put in place industry funding and regulations; we have built the Boulder quarantine yards; we have put extra funding into wild dog control in Western Australia; and we have set up the WA Beef Council and the Sheep Industry Leadership Council to look at whole-of-supply-chain shifts. We have also made significant market gains for wheat into Saudi Arabia; lupins into Indonesia; dairy into Singapore; and wine into China—the list goes on. We still have a lot to do. We want to regrow the wealth in Western Australia following the challenging seasons of the past couple of years by improving the business skills of the farming sector. We want to raise the profile of agriculture to attract the necessary people to deliver in that sector, and we want to continue with our drought reform plan by putting in place risk-mitigation products to deal with the challenges of drought and low rainfall. I am working with the Minister for Regional Development; Lands to look at pastoral reform, which has been talked about and talked about and talked about. We are putting it on the table and making the hard decisions to move down the path of reform. Opening up the vast potential of the Ord River region remains strong on our agenda. New facilities, including the Department of Agriculture and Food headquarters and the Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre, are significant projects that we will deliver in the remaining part of this government. There are huge challenges out there, which we are not shying away from—we are taking them face-on—but there are also huge opportunities. I am confident that we can capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead so that agriculture continues to make a positive contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of Western Australia for many decades to come.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : We made another significant decision, which was to transform the Department of Agriculture and Food in Western Australia so that it can to deliver to a sector that is contemporary. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Some members in this place may think my hearing is faulty; it is not true, member for Collie–Preston, and I am formally going to call you to order for the third time today. The Minister for Agriculture and Food has the call. Mr D.T. REDMAN : I will quickly mention a couple of other achievements. We have deregulated grain marketing in Western Australia and we have deregulated the chicken meat industry. In terms of biosecurity, we have put in place industry funding and regulations; we have built the Boulder quarantine yards; we have put extra funding into wild dog control in Western Australia; and we have set up the WA Beef Council and the Sheep Industry Leadership Council to look at whole-of-supply-chain shifts. We have also made significant market gains for wheat into Saudi Arabia; lupins into Indonesia; dairy into Singapore; and wine into China—the list goes on. We still have a lot to do. We want to regrow the wealth in Western Australia following the challenging seasons of the past couple of years by improving the business skills of the farming sector. We want to raise the profile of agriculture to attract the necessary people to deliver in that sector, and we want to continue with our drought reform plan by putting in place risk-mitigation products to deal with the challenges of drought and low rainfall. I am working with the Minister for Regional Development; Lands to look at pastoral reform, which has been talked about and talked about and talked about. We are putting it on the table and making the hard decisions to move down the path of reform. Opening up the vast potential of the Ord River region remains strong on our agenda. New facilities, including the Department of Agriculture and Food headquarters and the Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre, are significant projects that we will deliver in the remaining part of this government. There are huge challenges out there, which we are not shying away from—we are taking them face-on—but there are also huge opportunities. I am confident that we can capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead so that agriculture continues to make a positive contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of Western Australia for many decades to come.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Some members in this place may think my hearing is faulty; it is not true, member for Collie–Preston, and I am formally going to call you to order for the third time today. The Minister for Agriculture and Food has the call. Mr D.T. REDMAN : I will quickly mention a couple of other achievements. We have deregulated grain marketing in Western Australia and we have deregulated the chicken meat industry. In terms of biosecurity, we have put in place industry funding and regulations; we have built the Boulder quarantine yards; we have put extra funding into wild dog control in Western Australia; and we have set up the WA Beef Council and the Sheep Industry Leadership Council to look at whole-of-supply-chain shifts. We have also made significant market gains for wheat into Saudi Arabia; lupins into Indonesia; dairy into Singapore; and wine into China—the list goes on. We still have a lot to do. We want to regrow the wealth in Western Australia following the challenging seasons of the past couple of years by improving the business skills of the farming sector. We want to raise the profile of agriculture to attract the necessary people to deliver in that sector, and we want to continue with our drought reform plan by putting in place risk-mitigation products to deal with the challenges of drought and low rainfall. I am working with the Minister for Regional Development; Lands to look at pastoral reform, which has been talked about and talked about and talked about. We are putting it on the table and making the hard decisions to move down the path of reform. Opening up the vast potential of the Ord River region remains strong on our agenda. New facilities, including the Department of Agriculture and Food headquarters and the Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre, are significant projects that we will deliver in the remaining part of this government. There are huge challenges out there, which we are not shying away from—we are taking them face-on—but there are also huge opportunities. I am confident that we can capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead so that agriculture continues to make a positive contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of Western Australia for many decades to come.
The SPEAKER : Some members in this place may think my hearing is faulty; it is not true, member for Collie–Preston, and I am formally going to call you to order for the third time today. The Minister for Agriculture and Food has the call. Mr D.T. REDMAN : I will quickly mention a couple of other achievements. We have deregulated grain marketing in Western Australia and we have deregulated the chicken meat industry. In terms of biosecurity, we have put in place industry funding and regulations; we have built the Boulder quarantine yards; we have put extra funding into wild dog control in Western Australia; and we have set up the WA Beef Council and the Sheep Industry Leadership Council to look at whole-of-supply-chain shifts. We have also made significant market gains for wheat into Saudi Arabia; lupins into Indonesia; dairy into Singapore; and wine into China—the list goes on. We still have a lot to do. We want to regrow the wealth in Western Australia following the challenging seasons of the past couple of years by improving the business skills of the farming sector. We want to raise the profile of agriculture to attract the necessary people to deliver in that sector, and we want to continue with our drought reform plan by putting in place risk-mitigation products to deal with the challenges of drought and low rainfall. I am working with the Minister for Regional Development; Lands to look at pastoral reform, which has been talked about and talked about and talked about. We are putting it on the table and making the hard decisions to move down the path of reform. Opening up the vast potential of the Ord River region remains strong on our agenda. New facilities, including the Department of Agriculture and Food headquarters and the Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre, are significant projects that we will deliver in the remaining part of this government. There are huge challenges out there, which we are not shying away from—we are taking them face-on—but there are also huge opportunities. I am confident that we can capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead so that agriculture continues to make a positive contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of Western Australia for many decades to come.
Mr D.T. REDMAN : I will quickly mention a couple of other achievements. We have deregulated grain marketing in Western Australia and we have deregulated the chicken meat industry. In terms of biosecurity, we have put in place industry funding and regulations; we have built the Boulder quarantine yards; we have put extra funding into wild dog control in Western Australia; and we have set up the WA Beef Council and the Sheep Industry Leadership Council to look at whole-of-supply-chain shifts. We have also made significant market gains for wheat into Saudi Arabia; lupins into Indonesia; dairy into Singapore; and wine into China—the list goes on. We still have a lot to do. We want to regrow the wealth in Western Australia following the challenging seasons of the past couple of years by improving the business skills of the farming sector. We want to raise the profile of agriculture to attract the necessary people to deliver in that sector, and we want to continue with our drought reform plan by putting in place risk-mitigation products to deal with the challenges of drought and low rainfall. I am working with the Minister for Regional Development; Lands to look at pastoral reform, which has been talked about and talked about and talked about. We are putting it on the table and making the hard decisions to move down the path of reform. Opening up the vast potential of the Ord River region remains strong on our agenda. New facilities, including the Department of Agriculture and Food headquarters and the Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre, are significant projects that we will deliver in the remaining part of this government. There are huge challenges out there, which we are not shying away from—we are taking them face-on—but there are also huge opportunities. I am confident that we can capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead so that agriculture continues to make a positive contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of Western Australia for many decades to come.
We still have a lot to do. We want to regrow the wealth in Western Australia following the challenging seasons of the past couple of years by improving the business skills of the farming sector. We want to raise the profile of agriculture to attract the necessary people to deliver in that sector, and we want to continue with our drought reform plan by putting in place risk-mitigation products to deal with the challenges of drought and low rainfall. I am working with the Minister for Regional Development; Lands to look at pastoral reform, which has been talked about and talked about and talked about. We are putting it on the table and making the hard decisions to move down the path of reform. Opening up the vast potential of the Ord River region remains strong on our agenda. New facilities, including the Department of Agriculture and Food headquarters and the Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre, are significant projects that we will deliver in the remaining part of this government. There are huge challenges out there, which we are not shying away from—we are taking them face-on—but there are also huge opportunities. I am confident that we can capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead so that agriculture continues to make a positive contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of Western Australia for many decades to come.
There are huge challenges out there, which we are not shying away from—we are taking them face-on—but there are also huge opportunities. I am confident that we can capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead so that agriculture continues to make a positive contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of Western Australia for many decades to come.
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