It’s early days for the new Queensland Government, but I’ll say this — the first six months have brought some practical decisions that are making a real difference for cane growers.
The recent State Budget struck a few important notes for agriculture. We’re not expecting miracles, but it’s encouraging to see a stronger focus on things that matter — especially biosecurity and rural resilience. With more movement of people and goods across borders, the threat of pests and diseases is growing rapidly. Queensland agriculture is at the front line in Australia’s defence against biosecurity incursions. That’s why it’s good to see funding aimed at strengthening Biosecurity services, including more boots on the ground. Biosecurity is one of those things you only notice when it fails — so getting ahead of problems is key.
Another area where we’ve seen genuine progress is in policy to support disaster recovery. Queensland growers have faced their fair share of floods, cyclones and fires, and the Government’s decision to increase disaster recovery grants for primary producers to $75,000 after the Herbert district flooding is a real win — not just for cane growers, but for the broader agricultural sector. The speed that Government moved on this issue was the pleasing indicator. Not waiting for frustrating bureaucratic process that point out the obvious devastating impact. This was a clear sign that our industry’s concerns are being heard on the ground where it counts.
Another important change was in the area of disaster recovery policy with the adjustment to the definition of ‘primary producer’ status. For many farming families, the previous inequity meant they were locked out of accessing disaster assistance just because they had diversified their farm income streams. This change to accommodate the full scope of farming operations, including diversification, is a sensible move that better reflects how real farms operate today. Finally on this front too, the inclusion of replant within the guidelines of appropriate use of disaster recovery grants was a huge step forward for Queensland agriculture.
None of this means we’re rolling out the red carpet. There’s still plenty of ground to cover, and we’ll keep pushing hard on issues like water, energy costs, and land use planning. But credit where it’s due — some of the early signals are promising from a State Government that is move forward diligently on long standing issues that require action.
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