CANE growers and millers in the Burdekin region received some sweet news yesterday with the announcement of a draft Bill designed to resolve current sugar marketing issues.
Member for Burdekin Dale Last, said the LNP had conducted extensive consultation with industry reagrding the bill announced by Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Deb Frecklington.
“I certainly look forward to debating legislative changes which will benefit our sugar cane farmers to strengthen the industry into the future, regardless of the politics behind it," Cr Last said.
“The sugar industry is the cornerstone of many Queensland regional communities with 94 per cent of Australia’s raw sugar produced in this state – it’s certainly a pivotal industry in the Burdekin," he said.
“There’s more than 4000 sugar growing farms operating along Australia’s eastern seaboard and of that amount, there’s about 940 farms and 550 farmers right here in the Burdekin who want confidence in their industry and I will certainly be taking up that fight for them.”
Minister Frecklington said the LNP had worked closely with producers, millers and other key stakeholders and encouraged the wider community to have its say on the proposed Sugar Industry (Facilitating Grower Choice) Amendment Bill 2015.
“This exposure draft aims to achieve a workable solution to the sugar monopoly threatening regional growers by preserving their interests, but without imposing a transfer of ownership, strengthening the rights and futures of cane farmers.”
