NSW Farmers is set to allow politicians to pitch on their voters on critical issues in its first Regional Debate, which will be held in Goulburn.
The first Regional Debate will take place on Tuesday night and will focus on agricultural and regional issues ahead of the NSW state election. The Regional Debate will feature Minister for Environment and Heritage James Griffin, Shadow Minister for Environment and Heritage Penny Sharpe, Greens spokeswoman for environment Sue Higginson, and Shooters, Fishers and Farmers spokesperson Robert Borsak.
NSW Farmers Head of Policy and Advocacy Annabel Johnson stated that finding the correct balance between agricultural output and environmental results would be critical in the next government’s term.
“We want to hear from all sides of politics regarding the important issue of environment,” Johnson said.
Johnson added that farmers play a critical role in environmental conservation as land managers; nonetheless, farmers have historically confronted a changing landscape of unclear regulations and environmental standards.
“Environmental conservation is incredibly important, but food certainty is another important objective, and the two are not mutually exclusive: it’s all about finding balance,” Johnson said.
Polling commissioned by NSW Farmers found that the cost of living was the top issue for voters, with high food and grocery prices likely to have an impact at the polls. Johnson stated that astute leaders would discover measures to safeguard food production in NSW, which included striking the correct balance on the environment.
“Farmers grow healthy plants and healthy animals to make the food and fibre we all need, and we have seen the pain that supply chain disruptions can cause for people,” Johnson said.
According to Johnson, the message NSW Farmers want to send to policymakers and voters is that investing in agriculture now will save a lot of trouble later on, whether it’s better road and rail infrastructure, greater biosecurity, more research and development, clear workforce policies, or smart land use planning.
“We want to highlight that to keep food affordable, we need a sustainable and functioning agriculture sector,” Johnson added.
