Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026
Mr MATT SMITH (Leichhardt) (13:08): I wish to speak on the appropriations for the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. I grew up in the regions with the sons and daughters of dairy farmers in East Gippsland and with the sons and daughters of forestry workers further in East Gippsland. Now, as a regional MP, I know how important agriculture, fisheries and forestry are not just to our national identity but to our economies.
Far North Queensland has a proud history and a large history, and a big part of that history is our agricultural and fishing destinations. Farming, fishing and grazing works throughout Leichhardt. It is a way of life for many of the people in my electorate.
They grow up wanting to be farmers or fishers like their parents or their parents' parents, or possibly even further back than that. Much of the economy of the islands of the Torres Strait relies on the fisheries in the waters above the Australian mainland. It is an integral part of their connection to culture and a way of interacting economically with the outside world.
The gulf produces amazing prawns. Some of those gulf tigers are as big as my hand, and I'm proud to say we've got the best bananas in the world. We've got a massive and world-class produce sector in the Atherton Tablelands just up on the coast and, of course, we have our sugar industry.
As in all things, the Far North punches above its weight. If you think about the Far North, part of the imagery that you get is of the cane paddocks rolling into the vistas of the hills and of the banana farms along the highway. People write songs about working the prawns in the gulf.
And, of course, as Goanna said, 'We watch the lightning crash over cane fields.' Agriculture is a critical and indelible part of the Far North Queensland identity. As the local member for much of Far North Queensland, it's my job to keep our regions strong. We do this through a strong agricultural sector.
It's something that we all want. The National Farmers' Federation has set a goal for Australia's agricultural sector to reach $100 billion from its farm-gate output by 2030. I was happy to hear the minister say in a speech that, thanks to the Albanese Labor government, 'New data released today by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences forecasts that the value of agricultural production will rise to $95 billion this financial year.' When you include our fisheries and forestry sectors, that figure rises to over $100 billion, forecast for the first time ever.
Like the minister said in her speech, and I do as well, I want to pay particular credit to the blood, the sweat—there's a lot of sweat in Far North Queensland—and the tears that our farmers, fishers and foresters put into their work. Their dedication embodies the Australian spirit—hardworking and delivering for the community. It's for this reason that I'm proud that the Albanese Labor government has been working to back their hard work on the land with government action.
Our government works hand in hand with state governments to ensure farmers get the support they need. We are listening to those on the ground to ensure that help gets to where it is needed most. We know that the climate is changing.
We are producing packages of assistance that are responsive to the new challenges brought on by extreme weather events. We're working with our farmers to deliver solutions that allow for improvement in yield and embracing technology for the identification and eradication of pests, meaning that we empower the industry to find new ways to improve their bottom line while improving climate resilience and protecting the environment, because no-one loves the land like a farmer.
But that's not all. We're opening up and diversifying trade opportunities. We're boosting the agriculture workforce, providing skilled and dedicated staff for farms, processing plants and forestry operation, and we're supporting the research and development needed to drive Australian agriculture, fisheries and forestry into the future.
There is no future without agriculture. As the only electorate in the country that borders another country—as Albo said, 'You could swim across to it'; I wouldn't, but you could—it would be important for me to raise a key part of our agricultural sector and that is our strong biosecurity protections, protections that Labor strongly supports and will continue to support.
Any failure in our biosecurity could punch a $92 billion hole in our economy, putting at risk all of the hard work of the agricultural sector, not to mention threatening the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Australians. Our biosecurity rules keep our food supply safe, our farmers' livelihoods secure and support so many regional communities. That's why we've committed over $2 billion in additional funding to strengthen our biosecurity walls since coming into office.
The other is Labor's work to help support the sector to manage the challenges of climate change that farmers are forced to face. The minister herself said: Our farmers and producers are among the best in the world. They're smart, tough, innovative, and deeply resilient.
The Albanese Labor government will continue to listen, continue to work with, and continue to back them.