Ministers statements: farming innovation
Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education, Minister for Agriculture) (12:40): I rise today to draw attention to the outstanding work of Victoria’s agriculture sector in leading the country in on-farm climate action. Last week I had the privilege to meet with Olivia Lawson at her award-winning Paringa Livestock farm. I was really interested to hear about Olivia’s participation in the on-farm emissions action plan program run by Agriculture Victoria and assisted by the University of Melbourne. Olivia explained how through this program Agriculture Victoria has worked with her to develop a tailor-made emissions footprint of her farming operations which catalogues and itemises emission sources. The program also provides an action plan with options to reduce emissions and covers everything from relatively straightforward things such as planting more trees through to incrementally improving livestock efficiency to develop cattle which are both more productive and result in lower emissions. Given the awards Olivia and her husband Tom have won for best practice farming, including being recognised as the 2022 Weekly Times Coles beef producers of the year, there can be little doubt that Oliva and Paringa Livestock will continue to pave the way for innovative, profitable and practical on-farm climate action.
This is indicative of the great work occurring across Victoria’s agriculture sector. Farmers knowing their number in terms of emissions is an important first step in understanding and then reducing on-farm emissions. I am proud of the nation-leading work that Victorian farmers and Agriculture Victoria are collaborating on to achieve this. It gives me great hope and excitement to see Victoria’s agriculture sector pave the way for lower emission, sustainable and profitable farming. This government is proud to walk with farmers like Olivia on this great modernisation towards low-emission, high-profit farming for the future of Victoria.