Fair water trading and cheap on-farm loans are at the centre of a Coalition pre-election promise to boost Australia's agriculture sector.
But the Liberals' and Nationals' pitch for farmer votes has neglected industry's key requests for a comprehensive drought policy and an agriculture-specific visa.
Instead that coalition have committed $1.9 million to a National Agriculture Workforce Strategy to identify gaps in the labour market, and $10 million to tackle drought-related weeds and pests.
The pre-election commitment includes $3.5 million for farm safety education, new concessional loans of up to $2 million for first-time farmers, and up to $500 million worth of cheap loans for those prepared to "unlock the forestry industry".
Greater water market transparency
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Water Minister David Littleproud have agreed to call on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to undertake a review of water markets in the Southern Basin.
It is not clear what aspects of the market the competition watchdog would investigate, but there has been growing industry concern about how water is traded between valleys and the impact that speculators, or those who trade water but do not own land, have on the market.
A government spokeswoman said the ACCC would also consider calls for greater transparency about how the water market operates.
It comes just days after the Coalition announced it would establish a new statutory authority, to be known as the National Water Grid, which would plan new dams across Australia.
Announcing the bag of measures, Mr Morrison acknowledged the good seasons during the Coalition's past term of government.
"On our watch the value of production in primary industries is up 25 per cent and the value of exports is up 29 per cent to $53 billion," he said.
Mr Littleproud once again renewed the Government's commitment to deliver the Murray Darling Basin Plan in full "to give Basin communities certainty, and recognise the continued importance of Agriculture in the Basin".
Earlier this week the National Farmers Federation (NFF) released its election priorities, calling on Government to be a "proactive and engaged partner" as it seeks to grow the industry to be worth $100 billion by the year 2030.
The NFF has repeatedly called for an agriculture-specific visa and a comprehensive drought policy.
