28 May 2009
DAFF09/263B

Opposition spokesman John Cobb has stepped over the line by saying farmers have no right to choose how to manage their own properties, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Tony Burke said today.

He said Mr Cobb had launched an extraordinary attack on the Twynam Agricultural Group’s independent decision to sell its water entitlements.

The Twynam Agricultural Group has chosen to realign its agricultural enterprises over the past four years to diversify its Australian business operations.

This includes progressively changing its production mix from summer irrigated crops to winter dryland cereals, following years of drought. The water sale is part of that transition.

“I haven’t met one farmer who thinks a politician would know how to manage a property better than the farmer does,” Mr Burke said.

“The Rudd Government believes farmers are innovative and know their own land so they should decide how they run their businesses.

“Until now, I thought the National Party shared that view.

“But today Mr Cobb has stepped right over the line by saying he was ‘appalled’ by the company’s decision and it was an ‘attack’ on regional communities.

“Neither side of politics has crossed this line before.

“It is unbelievable arrogance for the National Party to tell farmers what they should do on their own farms.”

Mr Burke said the Rudd Government was also investing in important irrigation infrastructure, with $300 million announced in the Budget for new on-farm irrigation efficiency grants.

These grants will help irrigators in the southern Murray-Darling Basin invest in new technology to farm smarter and adjust to a future with less water.

Mr Burke also said the National Party had ten opportunities to ask a question on the issue in Question Time today – but they never said a word.

“This is another example of the National Party saying one thing in the bush and doing another thing in Canberra,” Mr Burke said.

“For all the noise John Cobb has been making in the country about water buybacks, he was silent in the Parliament – despite the Coalition wasting two questions which were ruled out of order.”