Next election vital for our regions

The 2024 Queensland State Election is now less than a year away and already we’re seeing some soft campaigning by the major parties.

We can expect these campaigns to ramp up markedly over the coming months as the pollies vie to secure your vote.

However, it’s not just the political parties who will have plenty to say heading into the next election. Special interest groups, activists, unions, and peak industry bodies will all be out there campaigning for their own cause or sector.

At CANEGROWERS, we will be working hard over the next 12 months to secure the best possible outcomes for our members, our industry, agriculture, and the regional communities we live in and support.

Directly and indirectly the sugarcane industry contributes more than $4 billion to the Queensland economy annually and employs around 20,000 people. We have a lot at stake.

With State Governments now locked in for four-year terms, it’s vitally important we elect the government that will support the growth of our industry.

If we get it wrong, 2028 is a long way away. A lot of damage can be done, and opportunities missed.

This is a particularly important election for cane growers and the communities we support, with our industry on the cusp of an important evolution.

Not only are we seeking to become a leading exporter of certified, sustainably produced sugar, but we’re also seeking to become a central player in Queensland and Australia’s bioeconomy revolution.

We, more than any other industry, are perfectly positioned to drive the evolution of sustainable energy, sustainable aviation fuel, biofuels, bioplastics, and a whole host of other bioproducts that will greatly assist the nation in reaching emission reduction targets. Targets that have been set by government policy.

This evolution could generate thousands of regional jobs and bring wealth and prosperity to our regional towns and cities. But it will only be possible if the State Government attracts the right investment and gets behind the right initiatives.

More than that, they must pursue policies that not only make it possible for growers to keep farming, but that encourage growth and expansion in the industry.

At its most basic level, this means taking measures to address the punishing water and electricity prices facing growers.

Some growers are being hit with power bills topping $50,000 a quarter, simply to produce the food and fibre that Australians need.

The government must introduce policies that lower power prices across the board for business and residential customers, but also establish electricity tariffs that significantly decrease the cost burden on farmers.

Similarly, the cost of irrigation water must be addressed if we are to see agriculture thrive, especially as we head into a dry El Nino weather cycle.

After the last election, the current state government introduced inequitable cuts to water prices, with some ag sectors benefiting more than others. While well intentioned, this policy was poorly designed and must change so that all growers are given a fair go and are not punished for the region they farm in or the crop they grow.

If we can reduce the cost burdens on farmers, create an environment where sustainable growth is possible, and attract and support investment, Queensland’s sugarcane industry can continue to be an economic powerhouse that drives a cleaner, greener, and more prosperous Queensland into the next century.