a majority liberal government will:
- Accelerate our agriculture sector with a further investment of almost $50 million to propel the sector towards our bold target of an annual farmgate value of $10 billion by 2050, supporting rural and regional communities and creating even more jobs.
- Invest $30.2 million into water resources and irrigation, including:
- $23.7 million over four years to supersize tranche three of Pipeline to Prosperity to meet increased demand for the Don, Tamar, Sassafras, Northern Midlands and Fingal irrigation schemes, including seeking up to $100 million in additional funding from the Australian Government for this project.
- $5 million for Tasmanian Irrigation to develop a business case to deliver the largest irrigation schemes Tasmania has ever seen – the South East extension scheme.Includes seeking to partner with the Australian Government to fund the development.
- $1.5 million over four years to implement initiatives in the Rural Water Use Strategy, with funds for:
- river health advisory project and industry communications
- streamline dam management and improve dam safety; and
- monitoring and metering, including modernised licensing and permitting
- Invest $3 million in a new Agricultural Development Fund supporting agricultural research, development and extension in Tasmanian agriculture. This will promote sustainable growth and innovation, and will be available to all Tasmanian agricultural sectors that contribute to our AgriVision 2050 target.
- Invest $10.2 million in a new Ag-Protection Package to future-proof Tasmanian agriculture and manage risks to primary industries, including:
- $2.3 million over 4 years to strengthen resources and expertise in supporting Tasmania’s disease-free claims and protecting industries through import risk and pest analysis.
- A further $350,000 over one year to support the delivery of Tasmania’s first comprehensive Cat Management Plan and implement changes to Tasmania’s Cat Management Act 2019.
- $4.2 million to maintain increased funding to the Tasmanian Natural Resource Management bodies (NRM North, NRM South and Cradle Coast Authority) to June 2025, and update the Tasmanian Natural Resource Management Framework 2002 to reflect Tasmania’s contemporary NRM arrangements
- $900,000 to continue the Tasmanian Government’s Landcare Action Grants Program with expanded scope for carbon farming initiatives, in addition to practical on-ground works for sustainable agriculture and river care activities.
- Provide $250,000 for a new Carbon Farming Advice Rebate Pilot Program that provides a rebate of up to $10,000 on any carbon farming advice sought to enter the market.
- $500,000 over four years to Fruit Growers Tasmania to support increased industry and community awareness and education of priority agricultural pests and disease.
- $350,000 over four years to TFGA to support enhanced on-farm biosecurity engagement within the industry and awareness of good on-farm biosecurity practices.
- $750,000 over two years for three additional biosecurity officers dedicated to Tasmania’s livestock sector to manage risks to animal welfare, market access, and biosecurity, as well as $350,000 to make King Island’s biosecurity officers full-time and permanent.
- $360,000 over four years to support industry improve livestock traceability, and enhance systems for primary produce traceability.
- $100,000 in further funding to DairyTas to support the Cows out of Creeks program.
- $100,000 to Wine Tasmania to improve resilience in the wine sector and fund emergency smoke testing.
- Invest $5.6 million in a new Community Farming Partnerships Program, to support farming communities, local farming issues, and improvements to farm safety, including
- $2.6 million to fund a new three-year Rural Business Resilience Package to support farmers, and seeking to secure matched Australian Government funding, including:
- $2.2 million over three years to manage the impact of drought on farming communities and deliver two State-delivered programs under the national Future Drought Fund Initiative - the Farm Business Resilience program and the Regional Drought Resilience Planning program; and$400,000 over three years to support the national Rural Financial Counselling Service program
- A further $450,000 over four years to extend the Safe Farming Tasmania program to raise awareness of farm safety issues and provide advice and resources to help farmers develop work health and safety practices.
- $2 million for a new Primary Producer Safety Rebate Scheme to provide cash-back rebates for farmers that implement safety measures that help reduce work-related injuries and deaths in farming.
- $375,000 over three years to support the implementation of a proposed legislated Farm Debt Mediation Scheme in Tasmania that will help farmers in financial stress deal with their creditors.
- $150,000 over four years to TFGA to extend the Living Next Door to a Farmer campaign to engage the community and increase understanding of farming activities, and clearly explain everyone’s rights and responsibilities when living near agricultural producers.
- Continue the AgriGrowth Loans Scheme that provides low interest loans of up to $3 million to eligible Tasmanian farm and agri-food businesses to support projects that advance the Government’s Agrivision 2050 plan and increase the value of the agriculture and agri-food sectors in Tasmania; and loans of up to $250,000 under the Young Farmer Support Package to assist more young farmers to pursue Agribusiness farming opportunities.
- This is in addition to our recent commitment “Developing a Nation-Leading Tasmanian Agricultural Precinct in Launceston” including:
- $15 million to create a new world-leading Tasmanian Agricultural Precinct in Launceston, with a satellite hub in Hobart.
- Maintaining $7 million to upgrade our public research farms, including $1 million of those funds to work with the fruit industry to support industry led horticulture research, development and extension.
- $2 million to expand the Strategic Industry Partnership Program to support key sectors such as beef, dairy, fruit and vegetables.
Tasmanian agriculture has never been more important.
It puts food on our tables, provides thousands of jobs, and supports our rural and regional communities.
Our premium produce is the envy of the world, and our farmers are the most confident in Australia.
The Tasmanians Liberals have a bold target to reach a farmgate value of $10 billion by 2050.
We are well on track to achieving that with agriculture now worth $1.9 billion at the farmgate, and our processed food value worth around $4.86 billion.
Tasmania has a remarkable opportunity to leverage our strengths in agriculture – rich soil, a favourable climate, water infrastructure, enterprising farmers and a premium brand – to significantly expand and accelerate our agricultural industries and food manufacturing capacity.
We will:
Invest an additional $30.2 million into water resources and irrigation
It is the Liberal Government that has consistently driven the development of nation leading irrigation schemes.
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government understands that investing in water is essential and that, when demand is growing, our irrigation schemes need to be upsized.
We are partnering with the Australian Government, to seek to invest more than $309 million for Phase one of Tranche Three of our Pipeline to Prosperity package – delivering schemes across the Don, Tamar, Sassafras, Northern Midlands and Fingal – upsizing those schemes, and undertaking feasibility work into new irrigation schemes.
In addition, we are partnering with the Australian Government to seek to invest up to $5 million into the development of the South East Extension Project business case.
Invest $3 million in a new Agricultural Development Fund
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government remains committed to working with farmers, agribusiness, and researchers and investing in sustainable growth in the agricultural sector.
We will commit $3 million into a new Agriculture Development Fund supporting research, development and extension, to be available to all Tasmanian agricultural sectors that contribute to our AgriVision 2050 target.
Invest $10.2 million in a new Ag-Protection Package
Over the next four years, a re-elected Majority Liberal Government will invest in a new Ag-Protection package to future-proof Tasmanian agriculture and manage risks to primary industries.
This will address biosecurity, including on-farm biosecurity awareness and practices, and the threats posed through import risks, pests and disease, and cat management.
It will also support farmers to adapt to a changing climate, including capitalising on opportunities for carbon farming.
Nationally and around the globe, demand for carbon offsets is large and growing.Carbon credits can provide farmers and other industries with alternative income streams, improved productivity and efficiency and contributes to the Tasmanian brand.
The Majority Liberal Government also stands by our commitment to extend Tasmania’s moratorium on GMOs until 2029 helping to maintain the State’s GMO-free brand in key markets.
We will also help our agricultural sector with initiatives to improve livestock, manage risks to animal welfare, and with market access.
Invest $5.6 million in a new Community Farming Partnerships Program
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will support farming communities and local farmers to improve farm safety, manage the impact of drought, assist them with business resilience, financial counselling and financial stress and support a proposed legislated Farm Debt Mediation Scheme.
Our successful AgriGrowth loans scheme and Living Next Door to a Farmer awareness campaign will also continue.
Current work underway right now:
- $185 million in partnership with the Australian Government to deliver five more irrigation schemes.Construction of the Don is on schedule to start this year.
- Investing $150 million through our comprehensive Agri-Food Plan 2019-2023 “Grow, Make, Protect”.
- $1.9 million Agricultural Workforce Resilience Package.
- $28 million over five years to the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture.
- Supporting farming families and rural communities through –
- Rural Youth, and Women in Agriculture programs
- Increased funding for Rural Financial Counselling and their Farm Business Mentoring Program
- Increased core funding for Rural Alive and Well
Our record in Government:
- Delivered 11 irrigation schemes since coming to Government – more than the rest of the country combined.
- Delivered a record 870,000 Megalitres of irrigation water available in 2019-20, up from 806,000 Megalitres in 2017-18.
- Significantly decreased dam approval periods for farmers.
- Increased flow and environmental monitoring of streams and rivers.
- $16 million more investment into our school farms.
- $5 million investment into the TasTAFE Agricultural Centre of Excellence.
- $4.2m in practical industry development strategies to improve productivity and profitability through the supply chain, including red meat, dairy, wine, fruit and vegetable, honey, hemp and organics.
- $860,000 over four years for two extra AgriGrowth Liaison Officers.
- Delivering the skills our agriculture sector needs, including
- scholarships for apprentices and traineeships in the North-West;
- working with Primary Employees Tas on wool handling skills and training; and
- a school-based cadetship program in partnership with Rural Business Tasmania.
- $6 million for the delivery of traveller assessment and border control across the State, along with the continued operation of the G2G PASS app and Tas e-Travel systems.
- Delivered our landmark Biosecurity Act 2019 which represents one of the most significant legislative reforms in decades
Labor-Green record:
Labor and the Greens have opposed –
- The relocation of DPIPWE jobs to the north of the State
- Workplace protection laws, which were supported by the TFGA, in March 2021.
Costings:
The total cost of this policy is $49 million, including an equity contribution of $28.7 million, over four years.