UNCORRECTED PROOF ISSUE Friday 12 June 2015 - Estimates Committee B (Rockliff) LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ESTIMATES COMMITTEE B Friday 12 June 2015 MEMBERS Mrs Armitage Mr Dean Mr Finch Ms Rattray Mrs Taylor (Chair) Mr Valentine IN ATTENDANCE Hon. Jeremy Rockliff MP , Deputy Premier, Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Primary Industries and Water, Minister for Racing Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment John Whittington , Secretary Mark Sayer , Deputy Secretary Alistair Scott, Acting Deputy Secretary Adrian Pearce , Manager, Finance Deidre Wilson , Acting General Manager, Corporate Services Penny Sale, Acting Director, AgriGrowth Tasmania Michael Varney, Acting General Manager, Land Tasmania Lloyd Klumpp , General Manager, Biosecurity Tasmania Martin Read, Acting General Manager, Water and Marine Resources Tim Grant, Acting Valuer-General John Diggle , Director, Inland Fisheries Service Robert Gott , Director Marine Resources, Licensing & Administration Water and Marine Resources Department of State Growth - Racing Bob Rutherford, Deputy Secretary – Industry and Business Development Amanda Russell, General Manager Corporate Services Tony Murray, Director Racing Services Tasmania Estimates B 1 Friday 12 June 2015 - Rockliff UNCORRECTED PROOF ISSUE Department of Education Colin Pettit , Secretary Liz Banks , Deputy Secretary, Early Years and Schools Robert Williams , Deputy Secretary, Department Services Kane Salter , Director, Finance and Business Services Jenny Rayner , Director, LINC Tasmania Stephen Conway , CEO, TasTAFE Nick May, Executive Manager Finance and Resources, TasTAFE Gail Eaton-Briggs, General Manager Operations Organisational and Business Development, TasTAFE Ministerial Staff Jenny Gale , Chief of Staff Bronwyn Perry , Deputy Chief of Staff Ashley Bastock, Senior Adviser Anna Jones, Senior Education Adviser The committee met at 9 a.m. DIVISION 8 (Department of Primary Industries, Park, Water and Environment) Minister for Primary Industries and Water, Minister for Racing Output group 1 Land Tasmania CHAIR (Mrs Taylor) - Good morning, everyone. Mr ROCKLIFF - I am pleased to be here again this year to provide an update on the progress of what our Government is doing in growing our economy and creating jobs through our strategic investment in the primary industry sector. When I came to Budget Estimates last year, our Government had laid the foundations for our vision to see the agricultural sector in our state reach its full potential to grow to a farm gate value of $10 billion by 2050. We are also committed to supporting our wild-catch fisheries, both commercial and recreational, by providing them with resource security and improved biosecurity, and by removing bureaucratic obstacles to sustainable growth of the sectors. We are also committed to providing strong support to all sectors of the aquaculture industry to grow sustainably and to maximise their commercial returns through the further development of our high-value brand and strong biosecurity culture. Estimates B 2 Friday 12 June 2015 - Rockliff UNCORRECTED PROOF ISSUE Last year we laid the platform to achieve that growth and this year we are consolidating on that platform in continuing our investment in key areas to partner with our farmers, our public services and our research development and extension providers. We are assisting our agricultural sector to access new markets, boost their production and develop industries that sustainably achieve the maximum from their resources. Our Government recognises the knowledge, skills and expertise of our farmers and rural communities. That is why our funding is about partnering with them and our primary industries, and enabling them to get on with the job while we deliver in areas that can assist them grow their markets. Key to this is our biosecurity system, which not only protects our primary industries from a range of pests and diseases, but through that protection also enables our agriculture sector to reach a range of overseas markets. Last year we laid the platform for enhancing our biosecurity systems. We have established Biosecurity Tasmania to create a more integrated approach across the biosecurity continuum. We delivered $900 000 to strengthen Tasmania's biosecurity protection. In 2015-16, built on that platform with $2 million to fund the addition of three new detector dog teams to be used at our border entry points to build Biosecurity Tasmania's capabilities to protect our primary industries, natural environment and social amenity from a range of pests and diseases. In addition, we have also provided a further $2 million to fund major biosecurity upgrades that are vital for protecting the value of our primary industries and for securing Tasmania's position in the twenty-first century global marketplace. These upgrades include new visitor signage and other communications at key entry points. Upgrading our laboratories to improve our detection response capabilities and upgrading post border hygiene infrastructure in priority areas. It is not just about protecting our industries, however, we are also focused on assisting them to reach their full potential. The Budget confirms the state Government's commitment to $30 million leveraging the Federal Government's $60 million to progress five proposed tranche 2 irrigation schemes. Irrigation as you all know is a partnership. A partnership between Government, federal, state and farmers. Farmers will contribute some $25 million to make the total figure of $115 million available for the tranche 2 irrigation. We have also confirmed our ongoing support for the $6.5 million Cultivating Prosperity, agricultural initiatives which we started rolling out in 2014-15. $800 000 for relevant industry research and development. Partnering with industry and Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, $1.5 million for Water for Profit program, $600 000 Farm Productivity program, $435 000 three year Farm Safe Tasmania program and an Agricultural Skills Plan with the TFGA of some $450 000 investment. I finish on this, Chair, with respect to consolidating the growth of our world-renowned fisheries through our supporting a world-class Tasmanian fisheries and seafood sector policy with funding under this initiative, and helping to underpin the future of the seafood industry. Ongoing commitments over the next three years of $500 000 to the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies for salmon industry research. A further $400 000 to supplement the Tasmanian Shellfish Quality Assurance program. Earlier this year I released the Developmental Fisheries Framework which provides a structured approach to the growth of the new environmentally sustainable and commercially profitable fisheries in this state. Estimates B 3 Friday 12 June 2015 - Rockliff UNCORRECTED PROOF ISSUE Our Government has created the platform in key areas and is now consolidating on that to help our agricultural sector and our economy to grow overall and to create jobs. I welcome the opportunity to discuss these initiatives and other key items in the Budget as we progress today. Thank you. CHAIR - One of the things you said to us last year that the Government was planning to do was reducing red and green tape by 20 per cent and you were going to have a regulation reduction coordinator. I guess, however that is going, you might address how the 20 per cent reduction is going? You did say 20 per cent over the term of this Government, rather than this year, but you might like to in each area as people ask you questions you might mention that. Mr ROCKLIFF - With respect to red tape reduction within my department. There are a number of initiatives we have done. You would be aware farmers in particular are sometimes very critical of the red tape and the beaurocratic obstacles they have to go through. Particularly with respect to water development, for example, and on farm dam approvals. Soon I will be introducing legislation to the lower House which will change our system. Which has been an evolving system in terms of on farm water development. We started with the 1999 Water Management Act, it was implemented in 2000. There was a major reform there. We formed more in 2007 a system where it was more of a one stop shop. It was the previous government, with respect to building water storage on farm, and by the abolition of the Assessment Committee for Dam Construction, which is a key initiative that will further reduce red tape for farmers and cost a lot less for applications. CHAIR - You talked to us about that last year, in last year's Budget, so progress since. Mr ROCKLIFF - Yes, that legislation will be tabled very shortly and it is looking good in reducing that red tape and we will have discussions like that when the legislation is tabled. Ms FORREST - What about the green tape? CHAIR - We saw red and green tape and we were going to keep our comments to a minimum. We were going to ask questions. Do not forget about the green tape. Mr ROCKLIFF - Yes, there is a bit of green tape in the dam. One of the other areas across my portfolio that we are acting on is the industrial hemp legislation. We anticipate it to be put into the lower House at the end of this year. In January this year, I announced a simplification of regulation to support the growth of the hemp industry. For example, an addition to allow farmers to hold a licence to grow industrial hemp for five years, rather than one year. It used to be a one year licence and we are going to make it five year licences. Also, increase the THC threshold from .35 per cent to 1.0 per cent to provide national consistency. We are working on specific purpose legislation for industrial hemp which will be welcomed by many. We are also trying reduce red tape through bio-security, so at the moment we have a bio- security legislation review, happening currently. While this is a complex task, we want to simplify many aspects for producers, industries and other stakeholders.