The NSW Government has been urged to work constructively with farmers and ruralcommunities as the state dries out and drought concerns grow.
While Treasurer Daniel Mookhey had warned the state’s first Labor Budget inmore than a decade would include cuts to help balance the books, NSW FarmersPresident Xavier Martin said there was a significant need to boost spendingoutside of the cities.
“We certainly welcome the government’s announcement of more than $700 millionin new funding to upgrade and maintain badly damaged regional roads in nextweek’s Budget,” Mr Martin said.
“There is a great deal of work that needs to be done right across the state toget our roads safe for delivering food from farm gate to dinner plate.
“But we can’t forget the need to fund upgrades of key highways and railway lineconnections to unlock the full economic potential of the agricultural sector.”
Agriculture was worth $23.1 billion to the state last year, and investment insupply chain upgrades would be needed to boost that figure to $30 billion by2030, Mr Martin said. But he warned dry times ahead could set the agriculturalsector and country communities back without smart investment.
“The state has had great agricultural productivity since the last droughtbroke, despite extraordinary flooding events, but you can’t grow healthy plantsand healthy animals without water,” Mr Martin said.
“I think we’re in a much better position in terms of drought preparedness thanwe were in 2018, but we still need the resources of Local Land Services and theDepartment of Primary Industries, as well as programs to increase resilience.
“This is investment, not a handout; strategic use of public funding willdeliver positive returns not just to the state coffers, but also to the healthof rural and regional communities.”
Mr Martin also noted announcements of a $350 million boost to the new NSWRegional Development Trust Fund, rural and regional school improvements andadditional country paramedics were very positive but said there was an overallworkforce problem that needed to be addressed.
“Country communities need schools and paramedics, but they also need police andteachers, more tradies, and more health workers,” Mr Martin said.
“The rise in regional migration through the pandemic and now during acost-of-living crisis is putting enormous strain on our towns and villages, andwithout smart investment, dysfunction will increase.
“We will be looking closely at this budget to see where there might beopportunities to improve services and liveability in rural and regional areas.”
