NFF Approves Northern Water Plan

The National Farmers' Federation (NFF) has welcomed the joint Federal – State allocation of $10 million to help establish new irrigation industries on the Flinders and Gilbert Rivers in north west Queensland.

NFF President Jock Laurie said that to meet growing domestic and world demand, Australian farmers had to increase output by a whopping 70 percent with less land and less water.

"Today's announcement is about new crops that suit the soil and climate of northern Queensland," he said. The plan would boost beef production and expand the irrigation industry.

"This is a positive initiative for agriculture in northern Australia, and one that will have flow on benefits for the local communities and economies that agriculture supports," Mr Laurie said.

Federal Minister for Regional Australia Simon Crean joined Queensland Premier Anna Bligh and Queensland Minister for Agriculture Tim Mulherin in Richmond recently to announce the NQ Irrigated Agriculture Strategy (NQIAS).

The $10 million investment includes:

• $6.8 million from the Federal Government, (including $800,000 from CSIRO), for CSIRO to conduct a comprehensive assessment of surface water storage options in the Flinders and Gilbert River catchments, and identify new irrigated agriculture techniques that could be extended right across northern Australia;
• $3 million from the Queensland Government to undertake on-farm demonstration projects and systems analysis to develop practical farming approaches; and
• $200,000 in shared funding for a feasibility study to develop a meat processing facility in north Queensland.

Ms Bligh said the private sector would be able to use the government-funded irrigation trials as a benchmark to support their own investment. "Funding a living, breathing on-farm trial will give investors confidence in the region to support long-term, sustainable agribusiness," she said.

Mr Crean said new diversified and sustainable agricultural development in the catchments would provide investment confidence in new agricultural-based businesses. "There is widespread support to expand beef production and build processing capacity in this region," he said.

SOURCE: National Farmers' Federation