Address to the National Farmers' Federation Leaders' Summit

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Good morning and thank you for the warm introduction. 

Can I begin by acknowledging the leadership of the National Farmers’ Federation, your member organisations, industry leaders, producers and everyone here today helping shape the future of Australian agriculture.  

It is always a pleasure to spend time with people who care so deeply about an industry that is so critical for Australia. 

Agriculture underpins regional communities, supports hundreds of thousands of jobs, strengthens our trading relationships, and every day puts high-quality food on tables here at home and around the world.  

It is part of Australia’s identity, and its future has never been more important. 

Today we are operating in an increasingly complex world. 

Conflict abroad disrupting international supply chains. 

Challenges that come with our changing climate. 

And, of course, new biosecurity threats that remind of us of the importance of remaining vigilant.  

These challenges are real. 

But wherever I’ve travelled over the past two years as the Minister, and for much longer locally as a proud representative of regional Australia, I’ve seen something equally real. 

The resilience, ingenuity and determination of Australian farmers. 

I’ve met producers rebuilding after floods, recovering from bushfires, managing prolonged drought and adapting to changing markets and technologies. 

Time and again, I’ve seen people who refuse to stand still. 

People who innovate, solve problems and continue producing the food and fibre Australia, and increasingly the world, depends upon. 

That resilience is one of Australian agriculture’s greatest strengths. 

It is also one of the reasons your industry achieved a remarkable milestone this year: exceeding $100 billion in agricultural production four years ahead of schedule. 

That achievement belongs to all of you here today, and all Australian farmers and producers right across the country. 

It reflects your hard work, innovation, and commitment to excellence that underpins the outstanding reputation Australian food and fibre enjoys internationally. 

And it’s backed by our Government’s work to not only support you with the challenges you face, but to unlock more opportunities for you to grow and diversify, particularly through new and improved market access. 

None of us see reaching this $100 billion milestone as the finish line. 

And as I said, we certainly recognise that events over recent months, including the war in the Middle East, have placed new pressures on our farmers, producers, and exporters. 

The challenge now is how we build the next chapter of Australian agriculture. 

Because success tomorrow cannot rely on yesterday’s achievements. 

It requires continued investment, innovation, diversification, and genuine partnership between government and industry. 

This has been the Albanese Labor Government’s approach from day one. 

Over the past four years we’ve worked alongside industry to strengthen the foundations that underpin Australian agriculture. 

We’ve expanded export opportunities, strengthened our biosecurity system, supported research and innovation, improved resilience across our food production systems, and backed farmers as they navigate increasingly complex challenges. 

Our objective has never simply been to help agriculture recover from individual shocks, but to ensure Australian agriculture is well placed to succeed through whatever challenges the future brings. 

And with this in mind, our Government is today announcing we are opening consultation on options to support the development of a domestic low carbon liquid fuels industry.  

Regional Australia is well positioned to capture the benefits of a domestic low carbon liquid fuels industry, with abundant and diverse feedstocks, renewable energy resources and existing infrastructure.  

We will also soon launch our National Bioenergy Feedstock Strategy. 

This strategy is about helping our agriculture industry and our regional communities to seize the economic opportunities that come with producing feedstocks. 

It follows extensive feedback, contributions and support from a broad spectrum across industry. 

And I thank those of you that participated in this important process. 

This is of course backed by our more than $1 billion investment in low carbon liquid fuels. 

And building new domestic capabilities has of course been a key focus of our response to the war in the Middle East, which is impacting globally. 

We have not only worked with you and right across industry to help secure more fuel and fertiliser to keep our food production strong. 

But are looking at how we can do more in our own backyard into the future. 

That’s why our $14 billion Strengthening Australia’s Fuel Resilience Package isn’t just focused on helping today, but on reducing Australia’s exposure to global shocks into the future.  

This includes increasing our domestic fuel reserves, and looking at how we can expand our domestic refining capabilities. 

And I know many of you here today have welcomed the certainty this package has helped to provide, which I know was critical as our farmers and producers made planting decisions earlier this year.  

And I want to thank your organisation for the important contribution you have made to help inform our Government’s response.  

These efforts also support something even broader, Australia’s long-term food security. 

Australia is fortunate to be one of the world’s great food-producing nations. 

But food security is about far more than producing enough food. 

It relies on resilient supply chains, reliable transport networks, secure access to essential inputs and a food system prepared for potential risks and disruption. 

That’s why we’ve put food security at the top of our agenda, with Feeding Australia, our National Food Security Strategy, continuing to progress. 

Australia has an important role to play as a trusted supplier of safe, high-quality food to our region, and that responsibility will only become more important as global demand continues to grow. 

And one of the best parts of my role is being able to champion on the global stage that Australia has truly world-class food. 

Of course, one of Australia’s other competitive advantages is our biosecurity system. 

Australia’s biosecurity system is recognised as one of the strongest in the world. 

It protects our environment, biodiversity, regional jobs and export markets, while underpinning international confidence in Australian food and fibre. 

Simply put, without strong biosecurity there is no strong agriculture sector. 

That is why the Albanese Labor Government has committed more than $2 billion in additional biosecurity resourcing since coming to office. 

Those investments are strengthening surveillance, modernising detection capability, improving preparedness, supporting scientific research and ensuring we can respond rapidly to emerging threats. 

And those threats continue to evolve. 

The global spread of H5 bird flu is one of the clearest reminders that biosecurity threats do not respect borders. 

Around the world, H5 bird flu has had significant impacts, particularly on wildlife. 

And as you know, over recent months we’ve been responding to the detection of H5 bird flu on our shores.  

Importantly, there have been no detections of H5 bird flu in Australia’s commercial poultry industry, and our broader agriculture system. 

While significant, Australia’s response has demonstrated the strength of our nationally coordinated biosecurity system. 

From day one we’ve worked closely with state and territory governments, industry, wildlife experts, researchers and veterinarians to support a swift and coordinated response. 

That collaboration has been fundamental to Australia’s response. 

We understand the potential consequences for agriculture, wildlife and our economy. 

That is why we have been carefully preparing for this event over a number of years, backed by more than $113 million to strengthen Australia’s preparedness for H5 bird flu.  

We’ve also seen a recent commitment by all governments to cost share nearly $25 million to support initial response activities.  

We’ll continue working closely with industry, scientists and our state and territory partners to ensure Australia remains prepared for whatever comes next, because biosecurity is never something we can take for granted. 

Every shipment inspected, every detector dog, every surveillance program, every laboratory test, every producer who reports unusual signs of disease helps to protect an agricultural industry worth more than $100 billion. 

And I do want to recognise the steps those of you here today and right across our agriculture industry have taken to strengthen your on-farm biosecurity, which remains our strongest line of defence to H5 bird flu. 

As we look to the future, one thing is clear. 

The next chapter of Australian agriculture won’t simply be defined by producing more. 

It will be defined by producing more sustainably, more efficiently, and more competitively. 

The opportunities before us are enormous. 

Global demand for high-quality food and fibre continues to grow. 

Consumers increasingly want products that are safe, sustainable and traceable. 

New technologies are transforming agriculture, and Australia is exceptionally well placed to lead. 

Our reputation for quality, our research institutions, our producers’ willingness to innovate and our world-leading biosecurity system provide competitive advantages few countries can match. 

The challenge now is to keep building on those strengths. 

That means embracing innovation. 

Harnessing artificial intelligence, digital technologies and precision agriculture. 

And continuing to improve productivity while using our natural resources more efficiently, because productivity and sustainability are not competing objectives. 

Australian producers have demonstrated time and again that they go hand in hand.

Around 80 per cent of Australia’s agricultural production value is exported. 

Our prosperity depends on strong international markets. 

We’ll continue working to diversify export opportunities, reduce unnecessary barriers to trade and strengthen Australia’s reputation as a trusted supplier of premium food and fibre. 

Every new market creates opportunities for regional businesses, local jobs and farming families. 

Of course, governments don’t create productive farms, farmers do. 

Governments don’t drive innovation alone, industry does. 

And governments don’t achieve long-term success without genuine partnerships. 

That is why our relationship with organisations like the National Farmers’ Federation is so important. 

The NFF has long been a strong advocate for Australian agriculture. 

You’ve helped shape national policy, united industry around common goals and challenged governments to think bigger about the future. 

That partnership is one we value enormously. 

I also want to recognise the significant work of our live cattle industry, which our Government is proud to back. 

And I note the Australian Livestock Exporters Council is launching its Live Cattle Growth Plan today. 

This plan not only focuses on the importance of collaboration, but industry's ambitions for the future, and how we can continue to seize new opportunities.  

Whether we’re strengthening biosecurity, securing critical inputs, improving market access, supporting research or building resilience, our objective remains the same. 

To create the conditions that allow Australian farmers, fishers and producers to succeed. 

Australian agriculture has always been defined by resilience, ingenuity and determination. 

Those qualities have helped build an industry worth more than $100 billion and made Australia one of the world’s most trusted suppliers of food and fibre. 

But I believe our best years are still ahead of us. 

And we’ll continue to achieve record success – by working together. 

Our Government values the strong relationship we have built with the NFF and industry.  

If we continue working together - investing in productivity, strengthening our biosecurity system, securing the critical inputs producers rely upon, embracing innovation and working together in genuine partnership - there is no reason Australia cannot become the world’s most trusted, productive and sustainable agricultural nation. 

That is an ambition worth pursuing. 

And it is one the Albanese Labor Government is proud to pursue alongside you.