p: 07 4048 1409 f: 07 4031 1005

PO Box 2738

Cairns QLD 4870

 

The Hon Barnaby Joyce

Minister for Agriculture

Agricultural Competitiveness Taskforce

Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

PO Box 6500

Canberra ACT 2600

Via email: Agricultural.Competitiveness@pmc.gov.au

Wednesday 23rd April

Dear Minister Joyce

RE: Submission to the Agricultural Competitiveness Issues Paper.

Regional Development Australia Far North Queensland and Torres Strait (RDA FNQ&TS) welcomes the

opportunity to provide comment on the Agricultural Competitiveness Issues Paper. RDA FNQ&TS provides a

significant role in strategically facilitating, supporting and promoting regional development to deliver

cultural, social, economic and environmental benefits across the region. We work in collaboration with key

stakeholders, industry, local government, State and Federal Government and the community, to deliver on

our broad agenda to secure a prosperous future for the region and its communities. Our work is directed by

the Regional Road Map, underpinned by six pillars and delivered through twelve Strategic Priority Packages.

We note the strong linkages between the Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper and the Northern

Australia White Paper processes. The development of the Energy White Paper is also of relevance to the

agricultural sector as are a range of ongoing and identified reforms at the Federal and State level.1 This brief

submission will provide comment on the Issues Paper informed by previous engagement with regional

stakeholders around the Northern Australia White Paper process and relevant RDA FNQ&TS policy

documents including the Agricultural Futures Strategic Priority Package2 and the Northern Queensland

Strategy Tropical Agricultural Initiatives.3

RDA FNQ&TS circulated a draft of this submission to a range of regional partners and stakeholders including

Advance Cairns, Cairns Regional Council, Tablelands Regional Council, Gulf Savannah Development, Advance

                                                                                                                         1   Qld Draft Beef Industry Action Plan 2014 - 2016; Queensland’s agriculture strategy: A 2040 vision to double

2 Attached for your information 3 http://www.rdafnqts.org.au/images/Nth_QLD_Strategy/RDA0135_FactSheet1_Agriculture_HR.pdf    

 

 

Cairns, AgForce, Canegrowers, Growcom, Northern Gulf Resource Management Group, Far North Qld

Regional Organisation of Councils, Terrain NRM, Cape York NRM, Cape York Sustainable Futures and QDAFF.

This submission reinforces elements raised by these organisations but it does not seek to represent their

views. We support the submissions made by our regional partners and stakeholders including the Milla Milla

Chamber of Commerce and Peter Spies, Pinnacles Consulting.

Agriculture is a key industry for the region with significant tropical fruits including banana and mangoes,

sugar cane, vegetable horticulture, dairy, nurseries and cut flowers, beef production, poultry and fodder

cropping. Current agricultural production in Far North Queensland is worth over $797 million to the state’s

economy, with agricultural production in the Cook Shire valued at $53.4M including $1.3 million for fruit

production and $49.8 million for cattle production.4 Agricultural production in the Gulf region was valued at

over $354 million in 2010 – 11 almost entirely attributed to livestock sales and slaughter.5 In the Cairns and

Tablelands region alone approximately 5% of the workforce is employed in agriculture, forestry and fisheries

producing tropical fruits, sugar cane cropping, beef cattle, fruit and nuts, poultry, vegetables, dairy,

nurseries, cut flowers and turf. Across the broader Far North Queensland and Torres Strait region

employment in the agricultural sector averages at 7% of those employed with mining coming in at a much

lower rate of 4%.6 RDA FNQ&TS notes key areas for potential agricultural expansion in the region including

land around the Gilbert and Flinders Rivers, Upper Herbert River, possible expansion of Mareeba-Dimbulah

Irrigation Area and a range of areas within the Cape.7

Regional stakeholders identified a range of issues relating to increasing agricultural productivity and

competitiveness within the regional context. These are provided in Appendix One. Many of the issues raised

correlate with the core areas of the Issues Paper, however we suggest a greater focus on the following:

1. Building resilience. To manage, amongst other things, fluctuating global markets and climate

variability. We need greater resilience in our infrastructure, cropping and horticulture choices and

technology, community and industry skills, responses to biosecurity and social infrastructure. The

Issues Paper tends to emphasise the impact of drought on the agricultural sector, when flooding,

cyclones and other extreme climatic events all impact on the industry, particularly in our region.

Evidenced by Cyclone Ita, which recently affected nearly 90% of the sugarcane crop in Queensland,

as well as damaging tomato, banana and eggplant crops.8 Maximising the impact and efficiency of

                                                                                                                         4  Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012,Value of agricultural commodities produced, Australia 2010 – 11, cat. No. 7503.0, from Queensland Agricultural Land Audit – Cape York, May 2013 - http://www.daff.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/69722/QALA-Ch04-Cape.pdf  5 Queensland Agricultural Land Audit – Gulf and North West, May 2013 - http://www.daff.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/77292/QALA-Ch05-Gulf-NW.pdf 6  ABS National Regional Profile 2007 - 2011 - industry summary data per LGA http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/nrpmaps.nsf/NEW+GmapPages/national+regional+profile?opendocument http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@nrp.nsf/Latestproducts/LGA32070Industry12007-2011?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=LGA32070&issue=2007-2011 ABS cat no. 7125.0  7 Please refer to the submission by Peter Spies, Pinnacle Consulting and the various Qld Agricultural Land Audits for Cape York, Gulf and North West and Far North Qld. 8 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-15/cyclone-ita-damage-to-sugarcane-to-cost-millions/5390174

 

 

the NDRRA and tackling crippling insurance premiums will contribute to building industry and

regional community resilience.

2. Maximising returns on investment. Need to focus on maximising our regional advantage with high

value crops, high quality horticulture, niche markets and really delivering food security emphasising

food crops and horticulture, rather than fibre crops, for example. Exploring export opportunities

around our tropical agricultural knowledge and expertise is another important focus areas. Specific

strategies around agriculture could be effectively built onto regional efforts progressing a tropical

knowledge economy (TKE).9 The benefits of a TKE include: a diverse economic base; strengthening

existing capacity and capability; improving productivity; maximising innovation and

commercialisation; positioning North Qld and Australia as a world leader in tropical knowledge and

innovation; bringing multiple benefits to a range of sectors including health, agriculture, energy;

and building knowledge, training and skills facilitation (increasing the available skilled workforce). 10

3. Greater investment in research, development and extension. There has been a reduction in

Queensland Government investment in agricultural R&D and extension despite a renewed focus to

support implementation of the 2040 vision to double Queensland’s agricultural production.11 A

Federal/State model to deliver place-based, in situ research and support to farmers could be highly

beneficial to progressing regionally relevant research and to facilitate its uptake. The proposed

RIRDC Northern Agriculture Cooperative Research Centre is also supported by RDA FNQ&TS to build

tropical knowledge and expertise for practical application yielding benefits for the industry.12

Effective investment in research, development and extension will rely on strong partnerships

between industry, community and government.

4. Integrating forestry, fisheries and aquaculture as part of the agriculture equation. Fisheries and

aquaculture in particular have significant market prospects with the increasing affluence of the

Chinese combined with improving technology to address critical issues, such as the sourcing of non-

fish aquaculture feed further reducing pressure on wild caught fisheries.13

5. Underlying asset management – The importance of natural resource management, with strong

links to biosecurity efforts, is critical to improving our agricultural productivity and competitiveness.

Integrating and bolstering NRM efforts, strategies and investment with strategic, regional and

direct benefits for agricultural outcomes could be considered. There is an ongoing need to focus on

                                                                                                                         9 RDA FNQ&TS Strategic Priority Package 4:Tropical Knowledge Economy –attached 10 Northern Queensland Strategy Factsheet – Tropical Knowledge Economy Initiatives (April 2013)

http://www.rdafnqts.org.au/images/Nth_QLD_Strategy/RDA0135_FactSheet7_Economy_HR.pdf 11 Queensland Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry research, development and extension plan: contributing to the 2040

vision to double Queensland’s agricultural production 12 http://www.rirdc.gov.au/research-project-details/custr10_PISC/PRJ-008952 13 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-11/csiro-develop-worlds-first-fish-free-prawn-food/5384678    

 

 

effective soil, vegetation, fire, weed, feral animal and biodiversity management building on the

excellent work of landholders, local governments and NRM groups across the region, and the

nation.

6. Maximising Indigenous social and economic aspirations and outcomes – Significant land across

our region is Indigenous held, in a range of tenure types. It is therefore imperative that Indigenous

people drive, in partnership with government and industry, their economic and social aspirations,

which include exploration of opportunities in the agriculture, horticultural, pastoral, fishing, forestry

and aquaculture areas. For Indigenous people to advance economically, land tenure issues need to

be resolved to allow for private enterprise start-ups and external investment into remote

communities. Existing ecosystem services, cultural land management, traditional fire management

and other types of natural resource management provide compatible economic activity. RDA

FNQ&TS commends the work of the North Australia Indigenous Experts Forum on Sustainable

Economic Development to inform the Green Paper. 14

7. Reform of regulatory processes and policy frameworks – There is a particular need for cross

jurisdictional effort to resolve ongoing tenure issues as well as development assessment and

approval processes, and land use planning. Effective reform would reduce regulatory burdens and

deliver consistency, clarity and certainty on processes and decision-making to facilitate investment

and industry growth.

8. Addressing development enablers water and energy – While water is clearly identified as

fundamental to agricultural industry growth meeting energy needs is even more challenging though

just as important. Future energy needs must be met in a cost-effective, efficient, reliable fashion.

RDA FNQ&TS supports innovative, flexible and place-based options for energy generation and

distribution to remote, rural and regional Queensland, and northern Australia. We refer the Minister

to the attached Strategic Priority Package on Energy & Water Transformations for FNQ&TS for

specific initiatives and pathways for consideration. Telecommunications are a further critical

enabler of development, which needs to be addressed to ensure broad regional access, good quality

(high speed broadband) at a reasonable cost.

Strategic regional responses to building a stronger agricultural industry are detailed in the Agricultural

Futures Strategic Priority Package (attached). This document was collaboratively developed with a range of

local stakeholders and partners, and provides for the following key initiatives:

1) Secure a devolved and coordinated approach to strategic research, development and extension into

tropical agriculture within the region.

                                                                                                                         14 http://www.regional.gov.au/regional/ona/files/NAIEF_2_Indig_prospectus_position_paper_0813.pdf

 

 

2) Secure integrated regulatory reform to reduce complexity for business, improve services and

integrate productivity with environmental outcomes in agricultural lands.

3) Value adding to agricultural industry supply chain to increase productivity and efficiency, with a

focus on the beef industry.

4) Develop a sustainable regional model to address regional, national and Asia-Pacific food security

issues.

5) Facilitate local benefit through taking a coordinated whole of governments approach when

supporting the development of major new agricultural precincts.

6) Drive industry capability through coordinated and cohesive efforts to attract and retain employees

and entrepreneurs, while addressing seasonal employment issues.

7) Re-think current financing options for the agricultural sector in order to reduce farm debt ratios.

8) Reinvigorate regional opportunities for the re-emergence and enhancement of profitable and

sustainable forestry and fishing industries.

9) Develop an integrated agricultural pest management program for feral animals.

RDA FNQ&TS further commends consideration of the attached factsheet on Tropical Agricultural Initiatives

as part of the Northern Queensland Strategy15, highlighting the need for:

• collaborative research and development in tropical agricultures contribution to regional

development;

• progressing an Agriculture distribution and export hub; and

• addressing land availability and tenure reform.

Regional and local initiatives, issues and projects for consideration

1. Cape York

The Cape is a region with significant agricultural potential, we refer you to the analysis of Peter

Spies and Shane Garozzo based on the Queensland Agricultural Land Audit for consideration.16 The

region needs a clear future developed through structured negotiation amongst key parties to

develop a sustainable, multi-layered, regional development framework to deliver long term,

strategic actions catalytic in delivering broad reaching outcomes. In our recent submission on the

draft Cape York Regional Plan, RDA FNQ&TS recommended a resource assessment to underpin a

regional development framework to ensure all industry growth opportunities, social and community

                                                                                                                         15  A collaborative effort between the four north Queensland RDAs – Far North Qld & Torres Strait, Townsville & North West Qld, Mackay Issac Whitsunday, Fitzroy & Central West - to bolster strategic regional economic development efforts. Further information available here http://rdafcw.com.au/wp-content/pdf/NQS/NQS%20Fact%20Sheet%20Overview.pdf 16 Queensland Agricultural Land Audit-Cape York 2013; pls refer to attached analysis by Peter Spies and Shane Garozzo Strategic Cropping Land in Cape York: what is to be locked away in the draft Strategic Environmental Areas – presented to the Cape York Forum, 20/1/2014, Cairns.

 

 

 

aspirations and conservation outcomes could be delivered. Agricultural activity including

pastoralism and horticulture needs to be facilitated at the regional level in Cape York with a co-

ordinated and integrated effort to grow other key industries including tourism, mining, fishing, bio-

fuels, conservation/ecosystem services which requires addressing regional infrastructure needs,

encompassing transport, telecommunications, water storage and energy. RDA FNQ&TS looks to the

Federal Government to provide guidance and support for a whole of region, whole of government

and negotiated bi-lateral way forward to address economic and social development needs, balanced

against the need to protect and manage outstanding areas of natural and cultural value.

2. Australian Tropical Agricultural Precinct (ATAP)

The Malanda Chamber of Commerce is driving a catalytic infrastructure investment to establish an

integrated industry-driven approach to agricultural education, research, innovation and extension in

Northern Australia. This investment seeks to counter the reduction in investment in research,

development and extension over recent years, which has included the closure or downsizing of the

Tropical Agricultural Research Hub, Walkamin Research Station and Kamerunga Horticulture

Research Station. RDA FNQ&TS supports innovative partnerships delivering place- based research

and industry solutions.

3. Agricultural Distribution Hub Business Case

The Northern Queensland Strategy, RDA FNQ&TS in partnership with the other three Northern

Queensland RDAs, have commissioned the development of a business case to examine the cost and

benefits of establishing an agricultural distribution hub or hubs in Northern Queensland. The

business case will consider the impact of the key strategic enablers in the region including power

security and affordability; water supply and the effect of disaster events on the agricultural supply

chain. The business case will also examine the return on investment to the regional economy and

quantify anticipated impact on gross regional product through expanded export opportunities. The

findings of the final report will be presented to both State and Federal Governments by the end of

June.

4. Integrated Food and Energy Development – iFED17

The project has the potential to bring significant regional benefits through large-scale agricultural

development. It could serve as a case study in identifying barriers and bottlenecks to regulatory

approval processes, providing valuable insight into opportunities to target reform efforts – at both

State and Federal level. Ensuring significant local and regional benefits are delivered through

project investment of this size is important and indicative of the need for assessment processes to

ensure that community engagement and social impact assessment is thoroughly addressed. We

commend the work of CSIRO through the North Queensland Irrigated Agriculture Strategy

producing the Flinders and Gilbert Agricultural Resource Assessments in considering the future

                                                                                                                         17  http://i-fed.com.au/  

 

 

development opportunities for this part of the Gulf.18 Other important CSIRO research for

consideration includes the Food and Fibre Value Chains project19, mosaic irrigation to maximise beef

production20 and improving smart farming technology.21 Key consideration need to be given around

how government can better incentivise private investment in critical infrastructure to accelerate

agricultural expansion in suitable areas.

In conclusion we support the direction of the Issues Paper, recommend consideration of the key points made

above, reiterate our interest in the development of the Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper and look

forward to the release of the Green Paper. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any queries regarding

our submission – ceo@rdafnqts.org.au

Yours sincerely

Sonja Johnson

Chief Executive Officer

RDA FNQ&TS Inc

cc.

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the Hon John McVeigh MP

Agriculture@ministerial.qld.gov.au

Deputy Premier, Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, the Hon Jeff Seeney MP

DeputyPremier@ministerial.qld.gov.au

Assistant Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Mr David Kempton MP

COOK@parliament.qld.gov.au

Attached.

1. RDA FNQ&TS Strategic Priority Package 5: Agricultural Futures

2. RDA FNQ&TS Strategic Priority Package 3: Energy & Water Transformations

                                                                                                                         18  http://www.regional.gov.au/regional/ona/files/iiap-SAF_FoodFibreSupply-AH2013-05_PRESS.pdf 19 http://www.regional.gov.au/regional/ona/files/iiap-SAF_FoodFibreSupply-AH2013-05_PRESS.pdf 20 http://www.csiro.au/northernaustralia    21 Griffith, C, Heydon, G, Lamb, Lefort, L, D, Taylor, K, Trotter, M and War, T, (2013) Smart Farming: Leveraging the impact of broadband and the digital economy, CSIRO and UNE.  

 

 

3. RDA FNQ&TS Strategic Priority Package 4:Tropical Knowledge Economy

4. RIRDC Northern Agriculture Cooperative Research Centre Proposal

5. Peter Spies and Shane Garozzo – Strategic Cropping Land in Cape York: what is to be locked away in the draft

Strategic Environmental Areas – presented to the Cape York Forum, 20/1/2014, Cairns

6. Malanda Chamber of Commerce, Draft Position Paper for Discussion Purposes – Australian Tropical

Agricultural Precinct (ATAP), January 2014.

 

 

Appendix One – Regional Stakeholder identification of issues and solutions

Extracted from the RDA FNQ&TS Submission to the Joint Select Committee Inquiry into Northern Australia (17/2/2014)

Submission 56

Issues

• Water reform/shared use of water/utilisation of existing water allocation – better policy needed;

• Water allocations for Indigenous usage;

• Land tenure/pastoral leases – diversification difficult;

• Support for Indigenous development – navigating the minefield of pastoral issues;

• Cape York Regional Plan not conducive to development of dry-land and irrigated agriculture and

horticulture in Cape York;

• Succession planning and farm profitability;

• Support for innovation and best practice;

• Limited value add in the region;

• Lack of industry cohesion = fragmentation;

• Access to data – new science for evidence based decision making including land use capability,

ways to maximise efficient and effective use of land;

• Impact of large scale land clearing (needed to support irrigated agriculture) on achieving Kyoto

targets;

• Impacts of climate change need to be considered in any long term planning;

• Lack of transparency regarding foreign investment in agriculture and potential for reduced

competition in the supply chain;

• Urban development leading to loss of land for agricultural use, also driving up the cost of land;

• Is the ‘food bowl’ vision achievable or realistic? Does this vision need to be revisited?;

• Value-v- quantity of agriculture;

• Lack of transport infrastructure and/or high costs restricting access to markets – must be addressed;

• Biosecurity issues critical.

Proposed solutions

• Maximise the existing assets of the agricultural industry through better targeting of farm support

programs / supporting producers to build their operations

• More effective partnerships between R&D and the ag sector, particularly support for farmers to

understand and implement new technologies & farm practices

• Build regional resilience, including support for bank/farmer models (as per Gulf) and extension

support

• Enhance supply chain efficiency and demand creation for local produce

 

 

• Provide support for the development of partnerships between large corporatized producers and local

operations, ie Hopevale banana farm partnership with DOLE.

• Implement programs which support Indigenous agricultural development, including recognition of

Indigenous water allocations.

• Infrastructure planning (picked up in Economic Infrastructure)

• Support for development of ATSI teams to provide bio-security services, including croc

management, and turtle and dugong management

• Revisit CYP Land Use Study?

• Adopt recommendations made under the Northern Australia Sustainable Futures program – what is

the Govt’s response to these recommendations? What is the future of this programme.