Bush Summit: Anthony Albanese’s pitch as fire and drought risks loom
The PM outlines his plan to help farmers drought-proof Australia and mitigate natural disasters.
Anthony Albanese will link lowering emissions with mitigating the risk of extreme drought, bushfires and storms as he warns that emergency agencies are looking ahead “with some apprehension to what summer will bring”.
Speaking at the first of a series of bush summits, in Tamworth on Friday, the Prime Minister will announce an additional $38m for long-term drought resilience programs and reveal that high-risk weather season preparations are ramping up.
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Mr Albanese will also outline Labor’s agenda for regional Australia and welcome China’s decision to remove tariffs on barley amid rising expectations Beijing will lift sanctions on wine, lobster and red meat in coming months.
“With the country moving into hotter and dryer conditions this summer, the potential for drought over the coming years is on everyone’s minds. Our advantage here is that Australian farmers are some of the best in the world at preparing for and managing drought,” Mr Albanese will say.
“And as a government we recognise the importance of supporting efforts to adapt to a changing climate. Reducing risk means being ready for the next fire, the next storm, the next drought. It means reducing emissions – not just because that’s what supply chains are increasingly demanding, but also because it make businesses more resilient over the long term.”
Friday’s event is hosted by The Daily Telegraph. The Australian will host a bush summit event in Perth on Monday.
Mr Albanese will commit to help farmers make their soils carbon-rich and accessing more “efficient fertiliser applications because they cost less, waste less and release less nitrous oxide”.
With Labor holding a handful of regional seats and facing the prospect of losing ground in WA at the 2025 election, Mr Albanese will pledge to improve health and education outcomes and upgrade communications and transport infrastructure for rural communities. “My dedication to regional Australia is absolute. An Australia that isn’t so top heavy with capital cities will be a nation more in balance with itself,” he will say.
“As with any aspect of creating a better future, good intentions alone are never going to cut it. We must improve connectivity, whether it’s with better roads, better rail or better internet.”
Mr Albanese will say more infrastructure and better services are needed to allow more people to “take advantage of the lifestyle regional Australia makes possible”.
“Australia’s regions are diverse, each with unique strengths and challenges. Delivering on the potential of regional Australia requires building on each region’s unique strengths. The values and aspirations of a community inform the actions they want to take to build resilience and reduce disaster risk.”
Mr Albanese, who will visit a barley farm outside Tamworth, says Labor’s focus on repairing and maintaining relations with China and other key trading partners is key to protect “jobs, livelihoods and the health of communities”.
“One in four Australian jobs are in exports, and jobs in export industries have higher than average pay. Exports are crucial to our agricultural industry. So this decision (removing barley tariffs) is good for our economy and good for jobs.”
Ahead of meeting Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit in India – a likely precursor to a Beijing visit – Mr Albanese said the financial benefit of China’s barley backdown was about $900m a year. “Every time you hear a dollar figure like that, look past the figures and try picturing what it means in terms of jobs, of livelihoods, and the health of communities.
“There are many complexities involved in the decisions of a foreign government, even one as welcome as this. But for our part, my government is working hard to repair and maintain Australia’s relations with our friends, neighbours and trading partners. Our approach to China offers a solid template. We can have respectful dialogue without changing any of our fundamental positions – and still make progress.”
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