View our advocacy items on our Submission to Bundaberg Regional Council Agricultural Buffer Policy, the Inquiry into the Impact of Climate Change on Queensland Agricultural Production, our submission to the Mt Rawdon Pumped Hydro and our Submission to Queensland Resources Industry Development Plan or view our policy developments.
Submission to Bundaberg Regional Council Planning Scheme Policy for Agricultural Buffers
BAFFA welcomes the opportunity to provide comment on the Bundaberg Regional Council Planning Scheme Policy for Agricultural Buffers.
We provide this submission without prejudice to any additional submission/s from our members or individual farmers and are primarily focused on potential impacts to primary producers.
Our comments are included in the attached submission.
Submission to Burnett Basin water plan review - June 2024
This is a properly made submission from the Bundaberg Ag-Food and Fibre Alliance (BAFFA), in response to the Preliminary public consultation notice on the proposed replacement of the Water Pan (Burnett Basin) 2014 – s44 of the Water Act 2000.
The Water Act requires that Water Planning balances economic, social and ecological outcomes.
In the Bundaberg Region, agricultural businesses and the processing industries that support them, have based long term investment decisions on the water reliability and water sharing arrangements embedded in the current Water Plan. As such, it is essential that as the Water Plan is renewed that the Department engage actively with water users and the Bundaberg Ag-Food and Fibre Alliance on the plan renewal and make appropriate policy decisions to support industries water reliability and existing water access.
The dam safety issues and infrastructure works at Paradise Dam have created a deal of uncertainty for the agricultural industry in the region and as such it is essential that the renewal of the Burnett Water Plan is undertaken in a way to support the region and minimise investment uncertainty.
Mt Rawdon Pumped Hydro Project
Bundaberg Ag-Food and Fibre Alliance (BAFFA) Executive Director Dale Holliss has welcomed the submission of the Mt Rawdon Pumped Hydro Project to the Queensland Coordinator Generals office for assessment.
“In April 2023 we became aware of the project and provided a list of issues and potential areas of concern with the proposed development to the Coordinator Generals office with particular reference to the impact on the nearby physical environment, groundwater and the potential effect on irrigators’ water security during the filling process.”
According to Mr Holliss the Evolution Mining and ICA partners have been very proactive in addressing BAFFA’s concerns and met with them and other groups several times to better understand the concerns and to address them during the EIS process. “I have been impressed with the level of consultation and also the genuine outcomes that have been presented to us” he said.
“Our greatest concern was that the 26,000 ML required for the first fill would impact negatively on the reliability of medium priority allocation holders (Irrigators) in the Bundaberg Regional Council Area given the current interim full supply level of Paradise Dam. Evolution Mining and ICA partners have somewhat allayed those fears by undertaking to temporary transfer water from existing allocation holders and also to access the Strategic Water Reserves that are available under the Burnet Water Resource Plan and if necessary to spread the take over a several year period.”
Water and Energy are the two most important factors into our food and fibre production process and whilst we are agnostic to the source of the electrons, having a pumped hydro in the region may be a blessing into the future as the nation decarbonises its energy systems.
We look forward to assisting the project come to fruition in a mutually sustainable way.
Parliamentary visit
At the invitation of Tom Smith MP, State Member for Bundaberg, Bundaberg Ag Food and Fibre Alliance (BAFFA) representatives Peter McLennan and Dale Holliss travelled to Parliament house to meet with Minister Glenn Butcher, Assistant Minister Shane King and other representatives on a wide range of issues impacting our agribusiness and farming operations.
BAFFA is extremely concerned that the urgency to rebuild Paradise Dam by the State and Federal Governments is waning and that the Olympic infrastructure and Clean Energy infrastructure requirements will be to the detriment of the timely rebuilding of Paradise Dam.
We requested that an indicative timeline on actual build commencement and finish date be released before the end of the 2024 water year.
We reiterated the Water Resource Plan operating rules that were agreed with SunWater when the Paradise situation was first publicly raised and are appreciative that SunWater has recently recommitted to these undertakings. Not the least of which is quarantining the unsold Paradise water from the announced allocation process.
The Bundaberg scheme has significant lift and relift segments and is a high electricity requirement scheme with significant electricity costs incurred to deliver water to irrigators.
The ‘no-one is worse off’ electricity cost pass-through trial for irrigation customers in the regulated Bundaberg distribution scheme commenced in 2020 and because the current price path has been extended by 12 months, we requested that the cost pass through trial also be extended for a further 12 months to match the end of the current price path.
With respect to mining in the Bundaberg Regional Council footprint BAFFA suggested that sustainable food and fibre production take precedence over resource-based activities in our region, and we strongly recommend that this region’s future land use be classified as being only available for food, fibre, and foliage production.
BAFFA remain strongly opposed to any mining activity that threatens agricultural land, water security and the livelihood of our farmers in the Bundaberg region.
Submission to the Inquiry into the impact of Climate Change on Queensland agricultural production
Bundaberg Ag-Food & Fibre Alliance provides a united voice for primary producers in the Bundaberg region and works toward securing the long-term interests of our members and our industry. This submission focuses on growers who predominantly produce sugar cane and other crops in the greater Bundaberg region and provides feedback to the inquiry into the impact of Climate Change on Queensland agricultural production on issues relevant to the local experiences of primary producers in the greater Bundaberg region and serves to represent their interests.
The terms of reference are for the committee to inquire into and report to the Queensland Legislative Assembly on:
a) the impacts of climate change and climate variability on Queensland agricultural production and the existing and potential future risks of climate change on the sector.
b) opportunities for the Queensland Government to create and support resilience, adaptation and mitigation measures in preparing the agricultural sector for future climate change.
Submission to Mt Rawdon Pumped Hydro Project
BAFFA welcomes the opportunity to provide comment on the Mt Rawdon Pumped Hydro Project.
We provide this submission without prejudice to any additional submission/s from our members or individual farmers and are primarily focused on potential yield implications on Paradise Dam and negative impacts on Medium Priority allocation holders in the Bundaberg Irrigation area and the potential for increases in mineral salt loads in downstream areas should there be a discharge.Submission to Queensland Resources Industry Development Plan
The Bundaberg Regional Council area is predominantly rural, with a large township at Bundaberg, and small towns and villages at Bargara, Burnett Heads, Childers, Coral Cove, Elliott Heads, Gin Gin, Innes Park, Moore Park Beach and Woodgate. Rural land is used largely for forestry, agriculture and horticulture, notably macadamias, sugar cane, fruit and vegetable growing, and cattle grazing.
Tourism is also an important industry, particularly along the coast, with the area being the southern gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. The Bundaberg Regional Council area encompasses a total land area of approximately 6,450 square kilometres.
In terms of gross value added, employment and business numbers, the Bundaberg local government area has a much greater reliance on agriculture (approx 13 per cent) than Queensland as a whole (approx 3.4 per cent).
In comparison, mining and resources account for less than 1% of the Bundaberg Regional Council.
This reliance on agribusiness means that any negative impact on our farmers’ ability to generate and market the crops and products they produce has a much greater impact on our community than in other areas.
Policy
Policies are yet to be developed although these are the first topics that will be addressed:
- The security and reliability of water
- Energy costs
- Input costs
- The right to farm
- Rates & unfair Local Government imposts
- Regulation
- Insurance
- Due diligence