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Minister's budget speech
The Honourable Tim Mulherin, MP, Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries
Auditorium 3, Ground floor, PIB
4 pm, Tuesday 3 June 2008
Acknowledgements:
- My Director-General, Rob Setter
- Mr Malcolm McKay, Australian Agricultural College Corporation
- Industry representatives including:
- Max Craigie, Australian Sugar Milling Council
- John Coward, Pork Qld
- Adrian Peake, Qld Dairy Farmers
- John Cherry and Gary Sampson, QFF
- Jan Davis, Growcom
- Bruce Avery, Qld industry of Recreational Fishing
- Mark Townend, RSPCA
- Rod McInnes, Timber Queensland
- Colin Holden, QRAA
- members of the Senior Executive Team
- ladies and gentlemen
I´m not going to quote George Bush, but I do want to begin with a quote because I think this one might help to put into perspective why it´s important to have an open mind about changes.
American icon Mohammed Ali once said, "The man who still views the world at 50, the same as he did at 20, has wasted 30 years of his life".
Think about it - whether we like it or not, there have been many changes over the years and we have to embrace change, not ignore it and certainly not fight it.
The key is to ensure that the changes we make are for the better.
As Rob pointed out, it´s another record budget today and the amount of money allocated for the group of agencies which look after the rural sector has increased by 4.9 per cent, from $886 million in 2007-08 to $930 million in 2008-09.
Ensuring that the Government´s investment in this department for the services we offer Queensland´s primary industries sector has optimal impact is at the heart of a new initiative, which most of you have heard of already - Enhanced Service Delivery.
What we are talking about is a transformation of the department so that it can better service a modern, innovative and internationally competitive primary industries sector.
To do this, we are developing a new framework for service delivery which sets out DPI&F´s vision to network and modernise its services; capitalise on R&D (research and development) potential to foster world-class innovation and provide a platform that builds a skilled workforce.
Today, I am announcing the first step in the process of building this skilled workforce. The Australian Agricultural College Corporation will become a partner with the primary industries and fisheries portfolio under a machinery-of-government change.
AACC is a statutory corporation and will continue to operate that way with the Director-General of the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries becoming the Chief Executive, as at 1 July 2008.
Though part of our portfolio, AACC will obviously continue to work with the Department of Education, Training and the Arts to deliver accredited vocational education and training to agricultural and rural industries.
This training is provided through five AACC campuses located at Clare in the Burdekin, Dalby, Emerald, Longreach and Mareeba.
These campuses are commercial size, fully equipped properties offering training in livestock and crop management and biosecurity.
Some also provide residential facilities for students.
In 2007, the Department of Education, Training and the Arts commissioned an independent investigation into the AACC´s strategic direction to improve the Corporation´s economic viability and delivery of relevant skills and training for primary industries.
The independent report recognised the importance of AACC forming a productive partnership with DPI&F.
I believe that this partnership can significantly improve the skills of the agricultural workforce through the provision of relevant, effective and efficient industry training which optimises integration and utilisation of AACC and DPI&F expertise and resources.
We know that the primary industry sector´s performance is increasingly dependent on operators of large-scale commercial enterprises with an extensive and integrated knowledge of bio-physical and socioeconomic systems and information technology.
Farm managers, particularly new entrants, increasingly need high levels of formal education.
We need more young people with new ideas, new skills and a renewed enthusiasm to enter the workforce.
This partnership will expand its reach through collaboration with other education and training providers - universities, registered training organisations, TAFEs and schools - to provide continuous learning in this area.
This should result in students who are up on the latest technologies and management practices in both theory and practice, with a direct pathway to higher education.
It should also result in experienced producers being able to improve their skills and result in a greater uptake of new technologies and management practices by the workforce.
An Enhanced Delivery Service (ESD) design and implementation team has been set up under the Deputy Director-General, John Skinner, to further develop and implement the plan.
At the end of this month, I am confident that we will be able to present a much more detailed picture of this partnership and model for collaboration throughout the state and the benefits to industry.
Some of you will be aware, and I´m sure that John Skinner and Beth Woods can tell you, that what we are undertaking has been coming for a long time.
In fact, the thinking behind the program has been supported by previous leaders of DPI&F, but they did not proceed - possibly because the timing or the conditions were not right.
Obviously, for some people, the idea of change is scary and they would rather use less-effective, but familiar tools and systems than try something new.
My message to you today is we have to move forward and try something new, which promises better results for the primary industries sector.
The timing and the conditions for change are right, now! We are proceeding and I am determined to work with you to make the changes that are necessary to enhance our service delivery!
