December 11, 2018
AgForce has demanded the State Government hand the agricultural colleges at Longreach and Emerald back to industry if the bureaucracy was unable to successfully manage them.
General President Georgie Somerset said the colleges were too important to agriculture, and to the many rural and regional communities that depended on agriculture, to allow them to be axed.
“We believe these are unique, irreplaceable assets and we are currently engaging with organisations and community groups around the State to elicit their support and ideas to save them,” Mrs Somerset said.
“The response so far has been overwhelmingly in favour of an industry-led solution.
“AgForce’s plan is to overhaul these institutions and the services they offer to form the backbone of a comprehensive, future-looking rural research and education system that offers benefits beyond agriculture.
“These well-equipped colleges, with their unique locations and infrastructure, offer opportunities to support profitable and sustainable agriculture in areas like carbon-neutral farming, drought mitigation, flora and fauna conservation, reef preservation and increased Indigenous and female participation.”
Mrs Somerset said this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for agriculture.
“AgForce strongly believes it is time for much-needed reform to the education and skills training available to rural Queenslanders,” she said.
“But the government has thrown its hands in the air and, without any industry consultation, decided to close the colleges because they cannot make them relevant to the end user.
“We firmly believe that industry itself is best placed to oversee innovative, outcomes-focused research, education and skills training that will ensure our broadacre agriculture continues to grow as a world leader.
“As the peak body for broadacre agriculture – and Australia’s only State farming organisation accredited as an RTO – AgForce has the expertise, the will and the remit to lead this initiative.
“We are already having informative discussions with producers, community organisations, Councils, MPs and others throughout Queensland, as well as with other primary producer peak bodies.
“The reaction we are getting is tremendously encouraging and gives us great confidence that not only are we doing the right thing, but that, with the support of rural and regional Queensland, we can make this work.
“People in the bush are accustomed to looking out for themselves when Government fails to listen or act.
“This is another example of us stepping up to secure the future of our industry, and its multi-billion contribution to the State economy.”
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Agriculture Minister David Littleproud supported the call for the State Government to hand over the keys to Longreach and Emerald agricultural colleges to the farm industry.
AgForce has called for the keys to be handed over, saying this could be an opportunity to reform and modernise education and skills available to rural Queenslanders.
“If Labor cut vital education services in Brisbane, people would be outraged,” Mr Littleproud said.
“This is the most callous act in living memory. While the rest of the country is trying to build up these drought-ravaged communities the State Government is trying to tear them down.
“The Queensland Government needs to hand the keys to the colleges back to people who care about agriculture and our food supply.
“Queensland Labor wrote off $5 million for a Sunshine Coast TAFE. They should hand over the keys to Longreach and Emerald and help fund them to get them going.
“Labor should have consulted with AgForce and other farm groups before killing these colleges.
“Our farmers grow our food and without agricultural colleges, we don’t have the next generation coming through to grow that food.
“Brisbane folk eat the food we grow them out here in country Queensland, and we need them to fight for us on this one.
“These colleges could be teaching our young people the sustainable farming methods of the future. Instead they’ll sit empty, if Labor gets its way.
“Then there’s the job losses from these small rural communities.
“Brisbane understands it can’t function without rural Queensland. We supply the food and a good portion of the budget.
“We need Labor to understand that, too.”
Net deficits for many years, under both sides of governance, with reducing revenues, reduced continuity, reduced employment rates post-completions, reduced full-time graduates … we are talking multiple million-dollar deficits per year, ongoing, despite writedowns and adjustments for increased prices of production like cattle and cotton.
With all respect, this is NOT a Labor against ag politicisation yet again. This is the writing on the wall that has been written for many years coming.
Simple reality, 16 graduates over the two colleges is simply bad business and poor economic management to expect multiple millions in losses, net losses per year let alone promote continuing it; especially with the reduction of employment results again, over many years under both sides.
These are Government assets, that has consultancies and industry aplenty within it.
Just because one hasn’t, doesn’t mean the – noted by the Minister – 70 others are not consulted.
Fair crack, the numbers are freely available in yearly reports by the colleges, and seemingly the Qld Audit Office has been involved in audits and or reviews, on their websites.
With respect, alternate training options are already happening, potential duplications of programs and or fundings?
This response just doesn’t make sense if these numbers are taken into consideration, it doesn’t align with regional employment, let alone the sector’s or lack thereof. It doesn’t align with anti-Socialism politics, either.
Interesting to say the least.