Drought Assistance

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (14:43): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Primary Industries about drought.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: The hay runs that took place around Australia Day this year have provided welcome relief to farmers, keeping their remaining stock alive. These charities organise and raise funds to buy fodder. The service clubs and truck drivers generously donate their time. The program is reliant on the fuel rebate supplied by the government. There have been many calls from across the farming sector and also from the opposition to expand the freight subsidy for charity hay runs as the need for fodder remains to enable farmers to keep their remaining few stock alive.

Most livestock producers have largely destocked in response to the drought, but they are trying to retain their bloodstock, which represents the work of generational breeding in search of continuous improvement. Their bloodstock represents a living asset, and once sold may never be fully recovered. In an interview on the ABC North and West SA of 6 March this year the minister made a comment in relation to the provision of fodder that:

Some are saying look we really, really appreciate this and it's important to have for short-term support but we don't want something that's going to encourage farmers to maintain stock levels which are not actually sustainable.

My questions to the minister are:

1. Where did she receive this advice from?

2. Who decides what level of stock is not sustainable?

3. Does she concede that nobody knows better than farmers themselves who operate a particular property what level of stocking is sustainable?

4. What evidence does the minister have that some farmers may be stocking at levels that are not sustainable?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:45): First and foremost, the letter to a certain federal member that prompted this media attention clearly stated that industry feedback was saying there is a need to ensure that there is not a disincentive to maintain stocking levels at the appropriate amounts, that they need to be sustainable. So the answer is that that feedback was from industry.

It is really important to note that it is clear and obvious that breeding stock will be retained wherever that is possible. No-one I have heard of has been suggesting that breeding stock should be part of destocking unless there is no other alternative. Obviously, farm businesses are making decisions about their stocking levels, as they are making decisions about everything to do with other aspects of the farms as they face what are very, very challenging conditions.