November 9, 2023
Locally owned and independent
The NR Times Rural News
RURAL NEWS 35
New President launches national campaign against anti-farming policies An unprecedented campaign against anti-farming policies has been launched today by new NFF President David Jochinke in his first day in the role. Speaking in Canberra at the National Farmers’ Federation National Conference, Mr Jochinke called on parliamentarians to stand up against policies which threaten to slash billions from farm production. “Farmers have always put food on the table for Australians and clothes on our backs, but decisions are being made in Canberra that will make it harder to do. “They’re taking away the water, land and
workers needed to grow food. That means fewer farmers doing what they do and when farmers grow less, everyone pays more,” he said. The national campaign, titled Keep Farmers Farming, will focus on key issues such as water buybacks in the Murray Darling Basin; the proposed ban of live sheep exports to the Middle East; worker shortages on farms and in the food supply chain; environment laws; transmission lines and competition policy. Today’s campaign launch comes only weeks after a national survey of more than 1600 farmers revealed
falling confidence in the farming sector and reservations about the approach of the Albanese Government. The survey found the majority of farmers (54.3 per cent) thought the Federal Government’s policies were harming
the industry, and only 31.2 per cent thought they were doing a good job for farmers. Mr Jochinke urged farmers and consumers to unite behind the campaign and show their support by signing an open letter to the Prime
Minister, contacting their local MP or making a donation to the campaign. “In the coming months, decisions by the Federal Government threaten to shave billions off farm production. We need support to ensure we have the right policies that help keep farmers farming,” he told the audience. Specific outcomes sought as part of the “Keep Farmers Farming” campaign include: • Blockage of the Water Amendment (Restoring Our Rivers) Bill, which lifts the cap on water buybacks in the Murray Darling Basin; • Abandonment of
plans to ban live sheep exports to the Middle East; • A shake-up of Australia’s competition laws to secure a fair deal for consumers and farmers; • A dedicated visa pathway for agricultural workers; • A mandatory code of conduct for transmission projects; and • Balanced reform of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act) to maintain productive land use. For more information, head to keepfarmersfarming. org.au.
Have your say on 10-year Trout Cod recovery roadmap The NSW Government is committed to recover Trout Cod populations in NSW, with the draft Trout Cod Action Plan 2023-2033 now open for public consultation. NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Deputy Director General Fisheries, Sean Sloan, said the draft roadmap has been developed to provide a clear path forward for long-term recovery of this iconic native species. “The draft plan includes short, medium and long-term priority actions to transition towards de-listing Trout Cod as a threatened species,” Mr Sloan said. “Trout Cod only have a few small selfsustaining populations
left in the wild in NSW and are in significant decline; without a coordinated approach to recovering the species, there is a real risk of extinction in NSW.
“The goal of the draft action plan is to re-establish viable Trout Cod populations in priority areas across their former range to once again support cultural
and recreational fisheries over the long term. “Recovery of a threatened species like Trout Cod doesn’t happen overnight – it takes a coordinated
approach between the government and our communities. “Don’t miss this opportunity to have your say on the actions to support recovery of this
key threatened species over the next 10 years.” In addition to the Have Your Say website, DPI Fisheries staff will also be undertaking a roadshow during November to consult directly with First Nation and recreational fishing communities on the draft action plan at key locations including Barooga, Wagga Wagga, Bathurst and Queanbeyan. The public consultation will be open for five weeks, closing on Friday 17 November. To view the draft Trout Cod Action Plan 20232033 and to provide feedback, visit https:// www.nsw.gov.au/haveyour-say/draft-trout-codaction-plan-2023-2033
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