In his keynote address to the evokeAG conference in Perth, Agriculture Minister Murray Watt announced $45 million in partnerships and innovation grant opportunities along with a $9m capacity building grant to foster more innovation and build knowledge in responding to the impacts of climate change.
Minister Watt said the Government was “determined to make a difference on this vital issue for agriculture”, as part of its proposed Agriculture and Land Sector decarbonisation plan, one of six under the Government’s Net Zero 2050 Plan. The investment follows an $87m funding package underpinning the Zero Net Emissions Agricultural Cooperative Research Centre, launched in December, that will coordinate all state governments, industry and grower groups, SMEs and research institutions.
“Rather than stick our heads in the sand, we will meet the climate challenge head-on, which will help secure the future of Australian ag, and that’s good for farmers, good for Australia and good for our economy,” Minister Watt said.
Speaking to APlus News on the sidelines of the event, the Minister reiterated that there would be no binding targets on emissions reductions for the ag sector, and instead the Government would be “working with industry to see those emissions fall.”
The Minister’s comments follow criticism from the National Farmers Federation that the Government’s mandatory climate reporting standards were an “absolute disaster”. The peak farming body said that the standards should be significantly delayed, or that agriculture should be exempt from reporting on indirect greenhouse gas emissions.
Asked about the NFF’s concerns, Minister Watt said that he had a “constructive meeting” with the group’s leadership, and that the country’s legislated targets of a 43% reduction by 2030, and net zero by 2050 were designed to be implemented in way that “helps sectors like agriculture grow and continue to prosper.”
“We're not talking about bringing in a target just for the agriculture sector and we're confident that by working with the industry, we can continue to see those emissions fall.
“Every opportunity I get, I talk about the great work that the agriculture sector has already done to reduce its emissions, and I think it's exciting that we finally have a federal government that is prepared to work with industry and shares their ambition to do more about climate change.”
Meanwhile, Minister Watt said he wasn’t yet able to release information regarding the report into the phase out of live sheep exports, but committed to announcing details “as quickly as we can” once other “government offices” and “budgetary implications” were considered.
“I think all of my colleagues understand this is a big decision. I think we actually need to get it right,” he said.
He said farmers had a right to protest the decision but that the government was delivering an election commitment.
"What the government's doing is delivering an election commitment that we took to two elections and we're trying to do it in an orderly methodical way,” he said.
“The government obviously has the job of implementing the commitment, we will obviously have to make the decisions about how we do that, but we'd welcome suggestions from people involved in the industry.”
The government’s biosecurity credentials were called into question in light of refugees making it to Australia’s mainland via boat last week.
“I'm confident that Australia is well equipped to deal with biosecurity challenges,” Senator Watt said.
“You'll remember that in about my fifth week in the job as the Ag Minister, we faced that foot and mouth disease outbreak that got to Bali. We've had lumpy skin disease to deal with in Indonesia as well. And touch wood we've all been able to work with the industry to make sure we keep those diseases out.
“The reality is that for a range of reasons, Australia is facing a lot more biosecurity threats than we ever have before.
“That's why our government has invested huge new amounts in biosecurity protections long term to make sure that we can withstand those pressures, but this is something you can never take your eye off the ball on and that's why we're really committed to working with industry to have the strongest system we can.”