AUSVEG has welcomed confirmation of the Albanese Government’s ministerial line-up, which features new and returning faces in portfolios critical to the interests of Australian vegetable growers.

The peak industry body for Australia’s $5.7 billion vegetable, potato and onion industry congratulates Julie Collins MP on returning as the Minister for Agriculture and looks forward to her engaging with growers across the country. AUSVEG has also congratulated Senator Anthony Chisholm on his return as Assistant Minister for Agriculture.

AUSVEG also extends warm congratulations to returning Ministers, Senator Don Farrell in the Trade portfolio, Tony Burke MP as Home Affairs Minister, Mark Butler MP as Health Minister, Pat Conroy MP as Minister for Pacific Island Affairs, Andrew Leigh MP as Assistant Minister for Competition, and Andrew Giles MP as Skills and Training Minister.

Congratulations also to Senator Murray Watt on being named as the new Minister for Environment and Water and Amanda Rishworth MP who has been named as the new Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations.

In congratulating the returning Government on its election victory, AUSVEG CEO Michael Coote emphasised the need for ongoing, constructive engagement with the vegetable industry to address the pressing and urgent challenges facing vegetable, potato and onion growers across the country.

“Leading into and during the recent election campaign, AUSVEG continued advocating strongly for positive action and solutions to key issues and challenges that are threatening the viability of Australia’s vegetable, potato and onion growers,” said Mr Coote.

“Addressing the industry’s ongoing cost-of-production crisis, difficulties securing viable returns for produce, compliance overload and workforce shortages is bigger than any one portfolio and requires a whole-of-government approach.

“AUSVEG remains committed to building on the constructive relationships developed with Ministers across portfolios during the Government’s previous term, and to securing the positive changes needed to support the long-term viability of Australia’s vegetable industry.

“This will include continuing to seek a $125 million, five-year federal investment in a national behaviour change campaign to boost unacceptably low vegetable consumption among Australians, as well as policy adjustments and measures that relieve the ongoing pressure Australian growers are under.

“AUSVEG congratulates all Ministers in the returning Albanese Government and looks forward to working together to progress initiatives that improve short, medium and long-term outcomes for a vegetable industry which is critical to national health and food security and which supports many thousands of jobs in rural, regional and metropolitan Australia.