The Coalition’s new water taskforce wants more dams built and more food grown, warning Australia could be importing nearly half its pork by 2040 if trends continue.
The taskforce has met for the first time, pledging to focus on identifying new water projects in each state and territory.
“The Taskforce will work with each state and territory to identify new projects as well as upgrades to existing projects,” said Leader of The Nationals Senator Matt Canavan.
“The Taskforce will use a collaborative approach and encourage states and territories to participate.”
Senator Canavan said the taskforce was desperately needed, given Labor had done nothing more than a discussion paper on its Food Security Strategy.
“We need this taskforce, because Labor’s food security strategy isn’t even looking at ways to unlock more food bowls in our country,” Senator Canavan said.
“A huge problem is that Labor isn’t trying to build dams or capture more water supplies to grow more food.”
“The Department told Estimates last week water isn’t something it is ‘principally concerned with’.”
“A future Coalition Government will be hyper-focused on building more dams and unleashing the food growing potential of our nation.”
“Our farmers grow the best food and fibre in the world, and we need to grow the water available for agriculture as well as our growing population,” said Shadow Minister for Water Michael McCormack.
“The Taskforce will work with the state and territory governments across Australia to identify water projects that will support our towns and industries.”
Mr McCormack said it had been too long since Australia invested in water infrastructure for the future.
Senator Canavan said Australia’s buffer for producing more food was shrinking.
“While the value of Australian farm production has more than doubled this century, its real volume has only grown by 30 per cent,” Senator Canavan said.
“Our increase in food production is not matching population.”
The Coalition says Australian farming is not growing as it should because the country has stopped building dams and opening new areas of farm production, and has shut down production in the Murray-Darling through water buybacks.
It also blames the conversion of productive farmland to forest for carbon reductions, and says Labor’s net zero agenda has pushed up costs and ended the local production of key farm inputs such as fertiliser.
“If longer-run trends continue, Australia could face domestic production shortfalls across many supermarket staples by the end of the next decade,” Senator Canavan said.
“Under this scenario, by 2040 imports could be needed to cover one in six apples, four in 10 blocks of butter and nearly half of pork consumption.”
“Projected shortfalls could also reach around one-fifth of egg consumption, around 15% of chicken and rice consumption and 7% of cheese consumption.”
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