TACKLING wild dogs and growing jobs in rural Queensland dominate the Labor opposition's plan for agriculture released this afternoon.
Just days after sending shivers through the state's landholders with a vow to wind back Newman Government reforms to the Vegetation Management Act if elected on January 31, Labor has also raised the prospect of establishing a new animal welfare advisory board.
Labor's statement says the board of as yet unnamed individuals would be created to ensure all farmed animals were treated humanely on farms, in transport and at the point of slaughter.
Queensland Country Life has sought comment on the proposal from livestock representatives this afternoon and will provide updates as they come to hand.
Key points of the plan
Labor has also revealed plans to:
- Revitalise agriculture training through new partnership arrangements between the Agriculture Training Colleges of Longreach and Emerald with local universities to provide skill-based training for the sector;
- Provide strong support for appropriate development of water and land resources in north Queensland, with a one-stop service to take initiatives through government approval and development processes;
- Help primary producers improve their climate risk management and preparedness for drought;
- Support industry initiatives for the development of a national multi-peril crop insurance scheme;
- However, the cornerstone of the party's plan for rural Queensland as announced today includes a $5 million injection into the campaign against wild dogs and the establishment of a Rural Job Agency.
The party's agriculture spokesman, Brisbane oral surgeon and the Member for Stafford, Anthony Lynham, said Labor would take the necessary steps to underpin the growth of Queensland's "vibrant, resilient and sustainable agriculture, food, forestry and fishing industries".
"No longer can we think of agriculture, forestry and fisheries as things that we simply grow and harvest," he said.
"It is a far more sophisticated proposition than that if we want to take full advantage of the hard work and enterprise of our farmers and growers.
"It involves productivity growth, good science, logistics, market segmentation, retailing, infrastructure development, sustainable use of resources, best practice animal welfare and provision of recreation and tourism opportunities to support our rural communities."
He said that in partnership with the private sector, the Rural Job Agency would match skilled workers with employers who require them and simplify the process for rural employers to engage local workers for short periods.
"The agency will allow rural employers the option to directly employ its labour-hire workers on a permanent basis," he said.
"And it will facilitate training pathways to assist rural workers to gain the skills the industry needs, including apprenticeships in rural and trade skills and other post-secondary qualifications.
"Labor understands that Queensland's rural communities have small populations that are dispersed across vast areas. It is often very difficult for employers to find the workers they need."
R&D strategies set to be reviewed
Dr Lynham said a Labor government would review the agricultural sector's research and development strategies to capitalise on emerging opportunities and maximise returns from scientific research.
"Future industry productivity gains are going to be largely dependent upon world-class research and development," he said.
"We will develop a research and development blueprint for the sector.
"We will ask a panel of experts to conduct a major review of agriculture and food research and development in Queensland to take advantage of the opportunities created by a growing and wealthier Asia, and build on our reputation as a provider of world-class tropical research and development."
He said a Labor government would also focus on rebuilding the State's biosecurity response capability - seriously eroded by the Newman Government's cuts to the public service.
"Development of Queensland's agriculture sector depends on having effective biosecurity practices in place, but the LNP has neglected biosecurity and increased the risk of major outbreaks of potentially devastating diseases such as Foot and Mouth," he said.
"A Labor government will conduct a detailed review of Queensland's biosecurity capability.
"Our aim is to develop a long-term plan to restore the State's ability to respond to biosecurity challenges.
"We must be able to tackle disease and pest outbreaks quickly and effectively to protect our crops and livestock.
"In 2012 the Newman Government closed the biosecurity lab in Oonoonba, Townsville, and scrapped the planned construction of a new laboratory. Ever since the north of Queensland has faced a heightened risk of an outbreak of potentially devastating zoonotic diseases as there is no longer any capacity to diagnose such diseases.
"We will also provide an additional $5 million over three years to support initiatives aimed at destroying wild dogs and cats.
"This investment will enable a co-ordinated campaign by the State and local governments, land owners and community groups and to leverage additional support from the Commonwealth and industry.
"This additional money on the ground will make a real difference for those rural communities where wild dogs and cats are a serious and growing problem.
"We have to work more closely with those communities, make more advice available and increase the number of predator control actions.
"Essentially, the problem has become too great to expect individual landholders to cope without support, but it is clear that, over the last three years, the Newman Government has not done enough.
"Since it came to government, the LNP has provided only an additional $705,000 of state government money to local communities to deal with wild dogs and that is an inadequate response."
Dr Lynham said Labor had listened to the farming sector and its warnings over the escalating cost of power.
"We understand the concerns in the sector about electricity bills and that's why a Labor government will establish a Queensland Productivity Commission.
"One of its first tasks will be to conduct a public inquiry into power prices, including the impact of pricing on the agricultural sector."
