JULIE COLLINS MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE 
MEMBER FOR FRANKLIN

SUSAN TEMPLEMAN MP
MEMBER FOR MACQUARIE

PRIMARY PRODUCERS AND TURF GROWERS DISCUSS FLOOD ISSUES

Hawkesbury primary producers and turf growers have met with Shadow Agriculture Minister Julie Collins and Member for Macquarie Susan Templeman to discuss ongoing issues arising from the floods.

Ms Collins and Ms Templeman met with local orchard and wine makers, as well as those involved in agricultural education, at Enniskillen Orchard on 6 March before travelling to Cornwallis to discuss turf growers’ concerns.

“Hawkesbury’s primary producers have been through bushfires and floods. They know the challenges of farming in our area, as well as the opportunities,” Ms Templeman said.

“The agricultural sector is a huge part of our local economy, and farmers raised a number of issues including the disconnect between Federal, State and Local Governments when it comes to what needs to happen on the ground, as well as genuine planning for the future when it comes to natural disasters.

“One of the issues that was raised was over-development, and the threat to productive land west of the river.”

Issues around flood and fire assistance were also raised. 

“It’s clear from the feedback that the access to primary production disaster support is full of red tape. We need to see clarity around the payments, what things growers have to do to be eligible and what records they need to keep. There needs to be certainty about it, rather than a ‘wait and see’ approach which throws growers into limbo for weeks or months on end,” Ms Templeman said.

“Unfortunately, primary producers affected by flooding in the Hawkesbury fall through cracks in flood assistance, often because of their size.

“For example, not all flooded farmers meet the turnover requirements and some have off-farm income that rules them out.

“Some of that is because of the nature of businesses and primary production here, in a peri-urban setting on smaller plots of land, so people miss out on being eligible even when they’ve suffered a direct hit.

“I wanted to give our primary producers the opportunity to discuss the difficulties they have been facing directly with Julie, because it’s something we need to address for the future.

“This area is always going to flood and we need to put plans in place for when it does. For the last decade or so there’s been no investment in resilience in our areas by this Liberal Government and nothing has changed in the most recent Budget.

“It’s wrong and it’s unfair, but it’s something we’v