Interview with Dan Crouch, Flow FM

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
RADIO INTERVIEW
FLOW FM 
THURSDAY, 29 MAY 2025

SUBJECTS: Visit to South Australia; Albanese Labor Government’s $1 billion rural support and drought resilience programs; Tasmania Devils.

DAN CROUCH, HOST: Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Julie Collins joining us on the Country Viewpoint. Minister Collins, thank you very much for making the time today. How are you?

JULIE COLLINS, MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FORESTRY: I'm good, thanks, Dan. I've had a very interesting day yesterday out on farm, talking to some of your local farmers about the impact of the drought it's having on them. But people have been so generous and so upfront and honest with me, and I really appreciated the time they've taken out of their busy schedules yesterday.

CROUCH: Well, we appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to not just join us here on Flow FM, but also to have you visiting South Australia to see firsthand the impact of what continues to be a treacherous drought. I understand you've been in Mount Compass meeting with SA Dairy farmers President Robert Brokenshire. What have been your first reactions to seeing the dry farming land all around the state?

COLLINS: Yeah, well, I've been to Mount Compass yesterday and out to Riverton, and I'm going to Eudunda today, and obviously I'm meeting with primary producers in Adelaide with your Premier and your Minister, Minister Scriven, this morning, and importantly with industry leaders as well. People have been really terrific and very open and honest. Clearly this is hurting South Australian farmers. This is the worst drought on record for many areas here in South Australia, and indeed, it's impacting western Victoria too. So, our government is really concerned about the impact. Obviously, the South Australian government has responded with a substantial package.

We have a National Drought Agreement, and the South Australian government and state governments are responsible for that immediate response. And as the federal government, we do more of the resilience through the Future Drought Fund and indeed through things like the Regional Investment Corporation, their loans through the RIC, as it's known, the Farm Household Allowance for people that are eligible, we provided additional funding that I announced yesterday also for further rural financial counselling and indeed through the farm managed deposit scheme. And here in South Australia, there's around $900 million in those farm deposits in around 6,000 accounts. So, we are, as the federal government, having that support. And that support is available not just during drought, but all of the time, for those farmers that are impacted by other events and are able to access that support when they need it.

CROUCH: From the conversations you've been able to have with industry leaders and now that you've seen the farming land and how dry it is firsthand, are you sensing that there is a need for greater support for not just farmers who are doing it tough, but also for their regional communities who are also struggling as a result?

COLLINS: Yeah. And talking to some of the farmers yesterday, certainly they are concerned not just for themselves, but they are concerned for their neighbours and their local community, and the impact on those regional towns and regional communities, and what the flow-on effects might be in months and years to come from this drought. So, we're listening incredibly carefully. I will, of course, report back to the Prime Minister and my cabinet colleagues. You know, our cabinet is concerned about the impact of the drought in Australia at the moment. Obviously, we have, you know, floods in parts of the country. We've had, you know, three incidents so far this year. And, of course, the drought late last year, I was in Western Victoria meeting with dairy farmers about the drought there. I met with the grain producers of South Australia even during the election campaign because we were so concerned about it. And the Prime Minister has asked me to report back from these two days, and I've already sent some feedback through to his office and his team about what I've heard so far here in South Australia.

CROUCH: As you touched on there, it's a weird situation in Australia at the moment where Queensland and NSW, or at least northern NSW are suffering from floods and the southern part of the country are desperate to get any sort of rain really as floodwaters continue to flow down from Queensland and NSW. Do you have a plan in place to get some of that water to the drought-affected regions in Southern Australia?

COLLINS: Well, it would be terrific if we could just pick it up and move it and certainly I think we're all hoping for rain in those southern drought-impacted parts of Australia. You know, I'm sure that the Northern Australia and those flood-impacted areas certainly don't want any more and more and they've been dealing with some quite tragic circumstances themselves. But the drought isn't a short burst of tragedy. We don't know how long this is going to go on for. We certainly hope that we get some winter rains, and looking at the forecasts and talking to farmers on the ground, they need that very, very soon here in South Australia, particularly for the current cropping season.

As a government, we obviously look at everything, and I'm here, I'm not ruling anything in or out when I'm talking to people and listening to people. Importantly, they've been very honest and upfront with me about the range of support from the tiers of government that are available, and they're talking to me about tweaks or gaps or things that they are concerned about. And as a responsible government, we'll have a look at those. So, I don't think it's appropriate for me to rule things in or out right at the moment. My job at the moment is to listen very, very carefully and to investigate and look at the evidence about whether or not the suggestions will or won't work.

CROUCH: The Albanese Labor Government have pledged a further $36 million to drought-affected communities and to drought-affected farmers. Can you just outline for us where that money will be directed, in addition to the large amount of funding that's already been directed towards the drought?

COLLINS: Yeah. So, our government, since we've come to office, has now provided around $1 billion for rural support and drought resilience packages across the country. And the $36 million that we announced yesterday is over four years. And it's about improving social outcomes, it's about leadership, and it's about building resilience in the communities. You know, as you were talking about earlier, it's not just those farmers and producers that are impacted, but their entire communities. So, there'll be a range of grants through our partners that will go out and be available. And obviously, this funding will go to those areas that have been most impacted, based on evidence and advice.

CROUCH: Minister Collins, suicide rates among regional communities are soaring, and I would just like to preface this question by saying the number for Lifeline is 13 11 14 and I'd encourage anyone who needs it to reach out for support. How much funding is being dedicated to counselling services and suicide prevention at a time when so many people are vulnerable?

COLLINS: Yeah, and I do also want to say, Dan, that we do understand that this is really impacting people's mental health and wellbeing. We know that farmers are doing it incredibly tough, as are their extended families. And I was listening to some stories yesterday, as I said, people have been very honest and upfront about it with me, and they've been talking about some of their friends who they know have died by suicide in recent months. And so I know that this is impacting people dreadfully. You know, we obviously, as a government are doing more when it comes to mental health. We're doing the Medicare Mental Health Centres, and I know that there will be five here in South Australia. Three of them in those regional and rural areas, one in Adelaide, but one in Mount Barker, one in Mount Gambier, one in Northern Adelaide and one in Port Pirie. And we obviously are also introducing the National Early Intervention Service, which will come on board from next year. So, there is support available. We already run a range of programs. Beyond Blue provide programs, particularly for small businesses, where they can just ring up and get the support they need when they need it. So, we are investing in the mental health and wellbeing of people as well as that rural financial counselling service as well, because we know a lot of this stress is about the tough decisions people are making, you know, about their livestock and their cropping and their finances, and it's impacting them terribly.

CROUCH: And Minister Collins, with another three years in Parliament on the horizon, do you have any plans in place for the chicken and poultry industry? Many industry leaders are desperately calling for a mandatory code of conduct. Is that a priority for you over the next three years?

COLLINS: Well, I've asked ABARES to conduct a chicken meat industry review and to actually look at the relationship between the growers and the producers in that entire supply chain so that we can actually have data and evidence about the right thing to do. The review will look at the information in recent inquiries as well, so we won't have to reinvent the wheel. And I've asked ABARES to do that on my behalf and to provide a report. They'll provide a draft report that will go back to stakeholders, and then a final report to me as Minister. We want that probably by - we want to deal with that before the end of the year. So, I would hope that the draft report is available around mid-year for all of the stakeholders involved in those industries.

CROUCH: Minister Collins, it's great to get all your thoughts on everything that's going on in the drought in South Australia and into Victoria and New South Wales as well. And we're very grateful to have you in South Australia, seeing firsthand the impact. Just before you go, we like to keep things lighthearted here on Flow FM, and you're a proud Tasmanian as well. Tasmania have an AFL team coming in in a couple of years. Have you got yourself earmarked as the number one ticket holder?

COLLINS: I'm not earmarked as the number one ticket holder, but I'm definitely a member of the Tassie Devils and I know that certainly South Australians are very passionate about their AFL teams as well. And you know, as you say, a bit of light heartedness is what we need at the moment. People are dealing with some incredibly tough situations, particularly our farmers and primary producers, whether they be dealing with floods or drought across the country. So, I do understand that some of this light heartedness and our footy teams give us a bit of light relief.

CROUCH: It can be a great distraction and it shouldn't take away from the real issues, but it certainly can be a good distraction when things get tough. Minister Collins, thank you very much for joining us on Flow FM today.

COLLINS: Thanks Dan. And thanks for having me.