Feeding Our Nation & Making Farming Profitable

Australia should never have to question our ability to feed ourselves.

Yet that is where Labor is taking us. Poor policy. Rising costs. Neglect of regional industries. Our farmers are under pressure. Water constraints. Locked up land. Rising energy, fuel and fertiliser costs. All of it puts our food security at risk.

Feeding our nation starts with backing the farmers who actually produce our food.

Agriculture

Farmers face rising input costs. Worker shortages. Red tape. Doubt over land use. Labor’s policies put paperwork over food.

The Nationals will treat farming as a national asset. We will not trade it off against poorly designed green schemes.

We want farmers to do well so Australians can eat.

Farmers often have only two big supermarkets to sell to. There is a lack of competition. Our retail sector is one of the most concentrated in the world. Yet we are one of the few rich countries without divestiture powers in our competition laws.

The Nationals support reform of those laws. Penalties for unfair conduct should match those in other countries. They should match the harm done.

These “break up” powers would rarely be used. But the threat of them will lift competition in Australia. It will give farmers the confidence to invest and grow.

Food Security

Food security is national security.

The pandemic and global instability have shown how fragile supply chains are. At the same time, there is more pressure to take productive farm land out of use. Whether for poorly planned renewables or other competing uses.

Food production must be protected when land use decisions are made. That includes food security tests.

Australia must always be able to feed itself and to export quality food to the world. To do that, we must protect farmland. We must support productivity. And we must invest in the systems behind production.

Fisheries

Our fishers understand sustainability better than anyone. Their livelihoods depend on it. But too often they are locked out of decision-making. Distant regulators do not understand local conditions.

We will back a model that recognises fishers as the stewards of their resources. They want sustainable stocks. We will protect regional jobs and industries at the same time.

Forestry

Forestry shows how looking after the environment and economic activity can go hand in hand. Well managed forests provide renewable materials. They support regional jobs. They reduce bushfire risk through active management.

We will support a sustainable forestry industry. One that balances harvest with regrowth. Not one that locks up forests and walks away.

Drought

Drought is not a new challenge. But policy failure is making it worse. Governments often respond late. They offer short term relief instead of long term strength.

We will shift the focus to being ready. Better land management. Better water infrastructure. Practical steps to reduce risk. That includes replanting trees, soil health and hazard reduction.

Drought will always come. It is our job to be ready for it.