❓ Mr. Love asks about government support for the agricultural industry to capitalise on Asian food demand. The Minister outlines a $300 million investment package focusing on research, infrastructure, trade, and skills development, funded through royalties for regions.
AnsweredQoN 415Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
AGRICULTURE — STRATEGIC INVESTMENT
415. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Minister for Regional Development:
There has been a lot of discussion regarding increasing
demand for food in Asia as its population grows. Can the minister please update
the house on how the Liberal–National government is supporting
agricultural industry to capitalise on this demand?
415. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Minister for Regional Development:
There has been a lot of discussion regarding increasing
demand for food in Asia as its population grows. Can the minister please update
the house on how the Liberal–National government is supporting
agricultural industry to capitalise on this demand?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Moore for the question and I thank him
for the great amount of detailed work he did to bring this policy to the table
during the election campaign. The Liberal–National government has put a
strong focus on agriculture in its first term. In its second term the Premier
has shown continued interest in looking at the agricultural sector as an area
of opportunity for the state. The Liberal–National government in the
budget last week certainly showed that with its ''Seizing the
opportunity'' agriculture package of $300 million investment in new agriculture.
It is unprecedented, certainly in the last 25 or so years, to have such a
degree of focus on agriculture in the Western Australian budget. We are looking
to take advantage of the opportunities that exist.
I couch this in terms of the opportunity that existed in the
Pilbara in 2001 and 2002 when it looked as though the economic expansion of the
Pilbara was about to happen. If the work had been done on policy settings and
infrastructure, small businesses and the community of the Pilbara would have
benefited from the expansion. That work was not done by the previous Labor
government and the challenges in the Pilbara ensued. We are only just getting
on top of that now, 10 years later. We want to make sure that when all the
indicators show great potential growth in agriculture, we get policy settings
and infrastructure right to allow us to take advantage of those opportunities
in the future.
The program will be funded through royalties for regions and
will deliver priority projects into agriculture to ensure that our agriculture
and food sector is positioned to capitalise on growing global demand for food
and agriculture. Just this week it has been reported that our grape industry is
going through a renewed period of growth. China is now the biggest destination
for wine out of the Margaret River region and there are great opportunities to
grow.
A key focus of the policy will be agricultural research and
development, land and water infrastructure investment and trade and skills
development. Funding will be provided for a northern beef industry development
centre in the West Kimberley and a sheep industry innovation centre at
Katanning to look at both the boxed and live meat export market to make sure
that we take full advantage of those opportunities. We will ensure that our
farmers have access to information necessary to help them remain competitive
and viable in a constantly changing industry. The statewide water for food
irrigation development program will also be undertaken, which will investigate
new and innovative ways to secure water supplies for agriculture in the future.
The government will look at getting produce to the market and
ensuring that WA has the right transport, energy, water and communications
infrastructure to help producers access global markets. Funding will also be
provided to promote WA produce, strengthen biosecurity and develop a greater
skilled workforce for agricultural industries. This builds on the strong record
the Liberal–National government has in agriculture. There will be major
investment into the East Kimberley through the Ord project, into the Gascoyne
through the Gascoyne food bowl project, and into the Muchea and Katanning
saleyards. This government has focused not only on the resources sector but
also on making sure it sets up agriculture to take advantage of opportunities
as they arise into the future. This $300 million seizing-the-opportunity
agricultural policy again establishes the government's key role of
driving investment in this sector for the long-term future of agriculture in
Western Australia.
for the great amount of detailed work he did to bring this policy to the table
during the election campaign. The Liberal–National government has put a
strong focus on agriculture in its first term. In its second term the Premier
has shown continued interest in looking at the agricultural sector as an area
of opportunity for the state. The Liberal–National government in the
budget last week certainly showed that with its ''Seizing the
opportunity'' agriculture package of $300 million investment in new agriculture.
It is unprecedented, certainly in the last 25 or so years, to have such a
degree of focus on agriculture in the Western Australian budget. We are looking
to take advantage of the opportunities that exist.
I couch this in terms of the opportunity that existed in the
Pilbara in 2001 and 2002 when it looked as though the economic expansion of the
Pilbara was about to happen. If the work had been done on policy settings and
infrastructure, small businesses and the community of the Pilbara would have
benefited from the expansion. That work was not done by the previous Labor
government and the challenges in the Pilbara ensued. We are only just getting
on top of that now, 10 years later. We want to make sure that when all the
indicators show great potential growth in agriculture, we get policy settings
and infrastructure right to allow us to take advantage of those opportunities
in the future.
The program will be funded through royalties for regions and
will deliver priority projects into agriculture to ensure that our agriculture
and food sector is positioned to capitalise on growing global demand for food
and agriculture. Just this week it has been reported that our grape industry is
going through a renewed period of growth. China is now the biggest destination
for wine out of the Margaret River region and there are great opportunities to
grow.
A key focus of the policy will be agricultural research and
development, land and water infrastructure investment and trade and skills
development. Funding will be provided for a northern beef industry development
centre in the West Kimberley and a sheep industry innovation centre at
Katanning to look at both the boxed and live meat export market to make sure
that we take full advantage of those opportunities. We will ensure that our
farmers have access to information necessary to help them remain competitive
and viable in a constantly changing industry. The statewide water for food
irrigation development program will also be undertaken, which will investigate
new and innovative ways to secure water supplies for agriculture in the future.
The government will look at getting produce to the market and
ensuring that WA has the right transport, energy, water and communications
infrastructure to help producers access global markets. Funding will also be
provided to promote WA produce, strengthen biosecurity and develop a greater
skilled workforce for agricultural industries. This builds on the strong record
the Liberal–National government has in agriculture. There will be major
investment into the East Kimberley through the Ord project, into the Gascoyne
through the Gascoyne food bowl project, and into the Muchea and Katanning
saleyards. This government has focused not only on the resources sector but
also on making sure it sets up agriculture to take advantage of opportunities
as they arise into the future. This $300 million seizing-the-opportunity
agricultural policy again establishes the government's key role of
driving investment in this sector for the long-term future of agriculture in
Western Australia.
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