Agricultural Sector

The Hon. J.S. LEE (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:46): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Primary Industries a question regarding farming.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: According to the Labor Environment Action Network group, there has been a motion put forward to the Labor government calling on the Labor government to:

1. Create a climate strategy for the land sector, working with the National Reconstruction Fund, the Powering the Regions Fund and the zero emissions task force to develop an industry plan for a world-leading land carbon industry, which would create thousands of good regional jobs in managing land, forests and mangroves for carbon, and significantly expand our plantation base.

2. Move to 100 per cent plantation timber and end broadscale land clearing before the next federal election, creating uplift in regional employment and industrial diversification.

3. Work with the agricultural sector to halve methane emissions from agriculture by 2030.

My question to the minister is: as the Minister for Primary Industries responsible for South Australia, does she support the motion put forward by the Labor Environment Action Network?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:47): I congratulate the Deputy Leader of the Opposition for actually having a specific motion to refer to, unlike her leader in this place. In fact, we probably could have addressed this question much earlier in question time—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —if the leader had been adequately prepared. I think it's important that we do have climate strategies going forward. As we know, the challenges of climate change are significant, and it is really important that we are working with industries to assist them in terms of improving outcomes in regard to climate change. Having an industry plan is a logical step towards that.

Part of the question read out by the deputy leader in this place referred to having 100 per cent plantation timber. As I have already outlined, here in South Australia our commercial industry is 100 per cent plantation based. In terms of working with industry, with agriculture, to reduce emissions, that is something we have already covered today in terms of the importance of that and how we can work with the different industries. A number of initiatives are already in place to help with that transition.