Darren Cheeseman (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is with some pride today that I rise to speak on the Seeing the forest through the trees inquiry undertaken by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Agriculture, Resources, Fisheries and Forestry November. Up front, I would like to put on the record my thanks to the secretariat, who did a first-class job in assisting the committee in undertaking its deliberations. I think the forestry industry has a very bright future in Australia—albeit it is an industry that has been going through and will continue to go through significant innovation in the way in which it conducts its business, particularly as in many parts of Australia we transition out of more traditional native forestry into more plantation and on-farm or private land forestry. That has been taking place for some time and will continue to do so.

I was delighted with the efforts that the committee put in, particularly in terms of farm forestry. Farm forestry has a very bright future, particularly if we get the policy settings right at a national level. I would like to highlight a very successful group in my part of the world, the Otway Agroforestry Network, which has been advising fellow farmers of the benefits of farm forestry for some years. Indeed, I have seen firsthand many farmers who have planted out their properties to the tune of 15 to 20 per cent without affecting the productivity of their properties or reducing stock on their properties and, as a consequence, have provided themselves with a long-term investment which they are able to take advantage of in more challenging years—and they have done so particularly over the last 10 years through drought and the like.

The real strength of an agroforestry approach, particularly if it is supported by government, is having in place a peer mentoring service, where farmers provide advice in an extension sense to other farmers. That is a far more powerful model than having extension provided by bureaucrats. Farmers providing advice and support to other farmers is an inherently stronger model. It is a model that will provide an opportunity for farmers not only in terms of being mentors but also in giving them access to people in their area that they trust who have a lot of practical experience in agroforestry. There is a real opportunity, particularly in marrying agroforestry with more traditional landcare. I use a practical example. Farmers, perhaps through a traditional landcare grant, might choose to fence off and plant a creek bed. Moving that fence 15 or 20 metres further into their properties provides an opportunity for farmers to plant a number of rows of hardwood timber—

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—

Sitting suspended from 11:30 to 12:04

After such a long break I am not precisely sure where I got to in my contribution—

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