Queensland’s Election and Dairy Farmers
eastAUSmilk congratulates David Crisafulli on his election as the 41st Premier of Queensland – the first LNP Premier since 2015.
The biggest issue in Queensland for eastAUSmilk is reversing the decline of milk production across the State. For that reason, we’ve made sure we’ve kept the previous LNP Opposition up-to-date on where we’re going with development of the dairy industry plan, both Shadow Agriculture Minister Tony Perrett, and the Opposition leader’s office. Now they’re in Government, we’ve already requested meetings so we can give the new Agriculture Minister and the new Premier’s office an update.
The new Cabinet hasn’t been announced yet, but we’re expecting Tony Perrett will be Agriculture Minister, or in an equally influential and senior portfolio – we know he understands what the dairy industry needs, and that the new Agriculture Minister will be presented very soon with a plan for the industry’s future.
Based on our discussions this year as the plan has been developing, we’re very confident eastAUSmilk and the dairy industry will get a good hearing and some positive results from the new Minister. We’re also working closely with Department of Agriculture and Fisheries on the dairy plan, so they’re ready to give the new Minister advice about the plan’s importance and content as soon as it is needed.
Arising from feedback from dairy farmers, processors and others in the industry during October, the Advisory Group drafting the plan, led by eastAUSmilk, is rapidly moving towards having a final draft plan ready.
There’s a big difference between the way Brisbane voted and the rest of the state, but the many regional seats switching to the LNP guarantee a very solid voice for Queensland’s regions, and agriculture in particular, in the Crisafulli government. The new Premier comes from a canegrower family, and several of those Members of Parliament likely to be in the Crisafulli Cabinet have a solid agricultural background.
Mike Smith, eastAUSmilk Government Relations Manager