The Rudd Government has wasted no time delivering on key election commitments for rural and regional Australia in its first 100 days of office, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Tony Burke said today.

Mr Burke said a key focus was on plans to help farmers prepare for climate change, which was addressed in detail at the Primary Industries Ministerial Forum in Cairns on Friday and again at the ABARE Outlook ’08 conference in Canberra today.

“The Rudd Government made a number of key election commitments to help secure a long-term future for hard-working families in rural and regional areas,” Mr Burke said.

“We will keep working hard to deliver on those commitments, in consultation with primary producers and key industry groups.

“As we discussed at the ministerial forum in Cairns, doing nothing about climate change in our primary industries is not an option.

“We’ve agreed to cooperate more closely on state and federal projects to make sure we are cooperating on research and development and mitigating the effects of climate change.

“We will also look more closely at the social impacts of climate change on our primary producers.”

Mr Burke said work was progressing on the $130 million Australia’s Farming Future initiative, to help primary producers prepare for climate change, which was a major election promise.

Other achievements for rural industries during the first 100 days of Government include:

• Delivering a $1 billion emergency funding package to ensure assistance continues for those affected by drought and the equine influenza outbreak;
• Finalising the $10.6 million buyback of Torres Strait finfish entitlements;
• Announcing an independent, expert review into Australia’s biosecurity and quarantine measures headed by Roger Beale AO;
• Progressing the changes to wheat marketing arrangements;
• Winning market access to the United States for Australia’s mainland cherry growers; and
• Announcing the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission inquiry into grocery prices.

Since being appointed, the Minister has visited every state and territory and met with more than 40 primary producers and more than 115 representatives of industry groups, councils or state governments.