Farmers manage 55% of Australia. Back them.

Agriculture consumes 75% of total available water within Australia. As of December 2021, farmers used 7.8 million litres of water to support the longevity of crops and pastures (ABS) and, of this, 1.9 million hectares of agricultural land was used for irrigation (28%).

Australian farmers play a crucial role in ensuring our food security. Managing 55% or 426 million hectares of Australia’s land, they are both producers and stewards of our country. Agriculture stands as the bedrock of Australian society, with the sustainability of our food security impacting all Australians.

During 2022 23, Australian farmers produced 29.9 million beef cattle, 2.1 million dairy cattle, 79 million sheep and 700 million chickens for domestic consumption. In the same year, horticulture produced 1.3 million tonnes of wine grapes, 3.6 million tonnes of vegetables and 2.7 million tonnes of fruit, generating a local value exceeding $13 billion. The production of broadacre crops included 41.2 million tonnes of wheat, 8.9 million tonnes of canola and 32.6 million tonnes of sugarcane sold, generating a local value exceeding $21 billion.

As of June 2023, the gross value of agricultural, fisheries and forestry production had increased in Australia by 51% to $94.3 billion. By September 2024, red meat consumption had increased by 0.8% and chicken meat production by 0.9% (ABS). By December, farmgate earnings totalled close to $85 billion and continued to support rural and regional economies throughout Australia.

We will continue to assess the social, economic and environmental impact on our domestic agriculture farm industry, particularly the long-term effects of climate change if the threat is disregarded and the right to access water is compromised. We will gain a deeper understanding of the terms and conditions of water usage, emphasising how these aspects might influence the future of food security in Australia.

We will examine the existing guidelines concerning the Foreign Investment Review Board to ensure they are in harmony with Australia’s national interests, scrutinising the approval and screening procedures to guarantee compliance with the law and upholding all disclosure requirements. This initiative is vital for safeguarding the integrity of our agriculture sector and ensuring sustainable practices for the future benefit of our nation.

We will continue to support the bargaining power of producers within our domestic and export supply chain, regulating the monitoring of the domestic supply chain to ensure regulatory compliance is upheld and codes of conduct are abided by. This includes supporting the National Farmers Federation (NFF), who continue to advocate for reform of competition laws and improved access for smaller farm businesses seeking commercial avenues to small-scale abattoirs across the domestic supply chain.

We will review the Australian chemical regulator to ensure compliance is met crucial for reducing the negative impact of invasive pests and diseases on crop yields and future trade deals, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring Australia’s competitiveness in the global market. Supporting the farming industry’s right to repair their own equipment is also crucial: we aim to review the current right-to-repair law and management practices so farmers can choose their preferred local repairer for machinery repairs, rather than being obligated to use an authorised dealer.