QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
Senator AYRES (New South Wales—Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science) (14:43): I thank Senator Hanson for that question. Rushy Lagoon will remain a working property with agriculture continuing alongside new plantation forestry—an industry that this government supports—and environmental restoration. The Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania uses a land capability classification system to assess land for agricultural uses.
Class 1 is the best. Class 7 is the poorest country. The state policy for protection of Agricultural Land seeks to protect prime agricultural land from conversion to non-agricultural uses.
It achieves this by setting constraints as to how prime land can be used. The Tasmanian government classifies Rushy Lagoon's lands as generally class five and class six, and they are not considered prime agricultural land. But this is not a choice between farming and forestry.
Both are important industries that this project will support. Senator Canavan: Farmers—why don't they get a subsidy? Senator Colbeck interjecting— Senator AYRES: I've heard Senator Canavan's interjections.
This facility, this farm, was owned by foreign owners. The PRESIDENT: Minister Ayres, please resume your seat. Senator Canavan interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senator Canavan!
This is Senator Hanson's question. She's entitled to hear the response in silence. Senator Colbeck interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senator Colbeck!
The disrespect towards me from particular senators when I've called order this afternoon is disgraceful, and it needs to stop. Minister Ayres, please continue. Senator AYRES: And, of course, there is some history to this.
In July 2020, Mr Taylor, as the then responsible minister, pushed a map of five priority regional hubs for plantation forestry ACCUs. And guess what? Northern Tasmania, including this parcel of land, is in one of those regions selected by Mr Taylor.
He said: Reducing red tape for projects located in the five Regional Forestry Hubs will support regional jobs and investment, including in communities hard hit by last summer's bushfires. That was the Liberal plan for Rushy Lagoon. (Time expired) The PRESIDENT: Senator Hanson, first supplementary?