“The identification and preservation of our best agricultural land is an investment in our future”, says Andrea Broadfoot, the Xenophon Team’s candidate for the Seat of Grey in the upcoming Federal Election.
For her full response to YPLOG’s query about where she and her party stand on the issue of mining and agriculture, please read on:
Response from Andrea Broadfoot 
The identification and preservation of our best agricultural land is an investment in our future. Protecting prime agricultural land and groundwater from any adverse impact is our team’s commitment to primary producers. Given that one of the major issues worldwide is food security and primary producers are our major employers in the electorate of Grey, we need to ensure the long term sustainability of primary production in our region. Agriculture and food security is a clear priority and as the Yorke Peninsula is a major agricultural producer it is my belief is that it should take precedence over mining. We want to find out much more about the proposed project in the Yorke Peninsula and look forward to meeting with your members to get an understanding of the potential impacts on the local farming community.
Below I have put a couple of the excerpts of our policy principles that cover your query so you can see where we stand on this issue. We are also further articulating our policy principles in collaboration with our stakeholders in community to ensure our advocacy is informed and responsive, and we are happy for feedback in that process.
Environment
Clean air, clean water and preserving our iconic natural resources are fundamental to guiding what we do for our environment – not just for us, but for Australia’s future generations.
Examples of what needs to be done:
- Call on state governments to identify and preserve our best agricultural land as an investment in our future
- Review the applicability of California’s vehicle emissions standards to Australia
- Protect groundwater (aquifers, including the Great Artesian Basin) from any adverse impacts of mining and coal seam gas exploration
- Have an efficient emissions trading scheme based on the Frontier Economics scheme
- Have federal legislation to protect key environmental assets, rather than being dealt with on a state by state basis
- Maintain the right of environmental and community groups to pursue legal action under environmental legislation
Food Security
Australia needs a comprehensive strategic approach to protect, invest and grow our own food production resources. It is an integral part of our national security.
Examples of what needs to be done:
- Change competition laws to allow for the break up of companies that abuse their market power in their dealings with farmers
- Establish a rural development bank that will make it easier for farmers to access finance.
- Create incentives to invest in agriculture, including for our super funds
- Overhaul and implement truthful food labelling laws. Our current laws that allow imported produce to be passed off as Australian are costing our farmers jobs
- Scrap the punitive AQIS charges on small exporters that destroy incentives to export
Andrea Broadfoot | Candidate for Grey
0459 340 001 | andrea.broadfoot@nxt.org.au
Nick Xenophon Team Office: (08) 8545 0400
PO Box 3015 UNLEY SA 5061
nxt.org.au/grey
NOTE: YPLOG will be reporting on the views of each candidate in the seat of Grey re the question of mining in agricultural lands so that voters are aware of and can take these views into consideration when casting their votes on election day.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.