Parliamentary Speeches
Centre For Tropical Horticulture, Alstonville ( 13/11/2008)
Mr DONALD PAGE (Ballina) [5.48 p.m.]: I bring to the attention of the House the State Labor Government's plans to close the New South Wales Centre for Tropical Horticulture at Alstonville, between Ballina and Lismore. This is a very important centre for plant research in New South Wales, especially for the horticultural industries. We all know that the New South Wales Government has got itself into quite a financial predicament, thus it is cutting services and putting up taxes. One of the cost-cutting measures outlined in the recent mini-budget was the closure of eight of the Department of Primary Industries' facilities in New South Wales, the Centre for Tropical Horticulture at Alstonville being one of them. What an incredible loss this will be, not just for northern New South Wales but the entire State. The New South Wales Government currently recognises the centre at Alstonville as the key facility in the State to support subtropical horticulture.
Staff members conduct a wide range of research across a range of sub-tropical crops, including macadamias, bananas, avocados, passionfruit, low-chill stone fruit, custard apples and coffee, and they are about to do work on blueberries. The Minister for Primary Industries described the plans to close the Alstonville facility and seven others around the State as a "restructure of operations to make them more efficient". The Government said it is now making tough decisions to set up the Department of Primary Industries for the future. Let me tell members for whom it will be tough: It will be tough for the farmers who benefit from the research. It will be tough for the entire North Coast, which has a unique climate and specialised crops. It will be a major blow for the horticultural industry.
The Alstonville Centre for Tropical Horticulture is located on 48 hectares of prime real estate on the edge of Alstonville. Anyone who drives out there will see rows of fruit trees, bananas and avocados, where scientists conduct research and experiments. There are experimental plantations of mangos and custard apples, and plantations of lychees, coffee, kiwifruit, jackfruit and the Davidson plum can be found, not to mention macadamias. Originally that site was a dairy farm. The Department of Primary Industries said that the property was purchased in 1956, with the first research officer starting work in 1960. Forty-eight years adds up to a lot of research and a lot of work, but if the Government gets its way all that will be gone.
This centre at Alstonville currently provides research and industry development services for horticultural industries on the North Coast. There are jointly funded projects with industry as well as the Queensland Government and the CSIRO. Scientists are looking for ways to help farmers to be more profitable, to increase their yields and, importantly, to adopt sustainable practices to farm better and smarter and in more environmentally friendly ways. These include trying to find more natural solutions for the controlling of pests, for example, through the use of wasps, and improving soil health and reducing erosion by doing research on shade-tolerant grasses.
The State Labor Government has a financial black hole due to its financial management incompetence. Doing away with critical research centres such as the one at Alstonville does not make sense and is not good policy. Frankly, it is short-sighted and stupid. How would we replace the loss of that facility and the knowledge and expertise of the staff members who work there? Some of Australia's best scientists are working at that centre and their loss would be a major blow for horticulture in Australia, not just in New South Wales. I imagine that the New South Wales Government has its eye on that 40 hectares of land and is counting the dollar signs as its figures out how much it would get if the farm were carved up for real estate, as this centre borders on a residential area.
I urge the State Labor Government to reconsider its decision and allow the Alstonville Centre for Tropical Horticulture to continue to operate. Does the New South Wales Government realise how much the horticultural industry is worth to the North Coast? Macadamias alone are worth over $100 million in income and a lot of valuable research into macadamias is being done at that centre. Farmers, the agricultural industry and the community cannot afford to lose that expertise or the work that is currently being carried out at Alstonville. I urge the State Labor Government to reconsider its decision and enable the Alstonville Centre for Tropical Horticulture to continue to operate. If the Government wants to sell that property could it at least consider relocating the research arm to the nearby Department of Primary Industries facility at Wollongbar so that scientists are able to continue their work?
The Minister for Primary Industries said that this decision was part of a process and that the Department of Primary Industries would continue to do what it does best—that is, servicing rural communities. Closing the Alstonville Centre for Tropical Horticulture would not assist in servicing rural communities on the North Coast of New South Wales. The work carried out at the centre is specialised and relevant to that region and beyond. I call on the New South Wales Government to rethink its decision. If it does not change its mind at least it should consider the compromise that I have suggested—relocating the horticultural centre to Wollongbar and making it part of the Department of Primary Industries facility. At least in that way we will be able to retain existing scientific expertise. If the Government is insistent on closing the Alstonville Centre for Tropical Horticulture it should fully investigate the transfer option to Wollongbar before it makes any rash decision.
