No senior minister for agriculture, water, environment ‘mega’ department: Bridget McKenzie

Despite a warning that one was needed, the Agriculture Minister says no senior minister will oversee water, environment and agriculture.

Agriculture Minister Bridget McKenzie. Picture: AAP

Deputy Nationals leader Bridget McKenzie says no senior minister will oversee a new mega department that includes Agriculture, Water and the Environment, but says the consolidated portfolio will deliver “real outcomes for regional communities.”

It comes as Scott Morrison announced last week the public service’s 18 departments would be slashed to 14 from February 1, triggering confusion over who will be the senior minister with the final say on policy and departmental issues.

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The four new super departments will be the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment; the Department of Education, Skills and Employment; the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources; and the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications.

Speaking to reporters in Canberra on Wednesday, Senator McKenzie said the responsibilities over the three portfolios would continue to be overseen by the corresponding cabinet minister.

Under the arrangement, Senator McKenzie will oversee agriculture, Environment Minister Sussan Ley will have the final say on environment and Water Resources Minister David Littleproud will be responsible for water policy.

Last week The Australian reported that Nationals sources had said if there was a dispute between different ministers within the one department, it was important a senior minister could make the ultimate decision.

Senator McKenzie said she met with high-profile bureaucrat Andrew Metcalfe — who is in charge of leading the super department — the day after the announcement was made, declaring she was confident the arrangement would be a success.

“We work very well together,” she said of her ministerial colleagues. “I am looking forward to working in a portfolio that I think will deliver real outcomes for our regional communities by bringing environment, water and natural resource management together with agriculture that our farmers, you know, manage themselves over 50 per cent of our landmass.”

Senator McKenzie made the remarks at a press conference in Canberra on Wednesday while announcing a new $66 million package to put more frontline detection services at the nation’s borders to protect against an outbreak of African swine fever, which is now on Australia’s doorstep having been detected in East Timor.

An additional 130 biosecurity officers will be on patrol to do half a million more screenings from January next year.

Six new detector dogs will be deployed at airports and mail centres by July next year.

An outbreak of the disease, which kills about 80 per cent of the pigs it infects but isn’t dangerous to humans, could decimate Australia’s $5 billion pork industry.

Herds across Europe and Asia have been crushed, with China – the world’s biggest consumer of pork – copping heavy losses.

Senator McKenzie flagged tough action against people caught bringing in suspect items after six people had visas cancelled for failing to declare food products in their luggage.

“We won’t be taking a backwards step,” she said.

“If people continue to flout our biosecurity laws and our desire to keep our status as a pest and disease-free nation, then they’ll be feeling the full force of our laws.”