The Federal government’s introduction of legislation to repeal the carbon tax today has been welcomed by Western Australia’s peak agricultural lobby group, WAFarmers.
WAFarmers has strongly opposed the carbon tax since it was proposed by the previous government due to the negative effect it presented to farmers’ bottom line.
“The carbon tax has jeopardised the competitiveness of the agricultural industry by increasing the costs of key inputs, such as higher electricity prices impacting dairy operations, which farmers do not have the capacity to pass on,” Mr Park said.
“The result has been a reduction in farm profits and international competitiveness compared with farmers in other countries who do not have a carbon tax and receive comparatively greater government subsidies.”
However, WAFarmers does recognise the reality of climate change and believes Australian agriculture has the potential to contribute to solutions.
“There exists an opportunity to use agriculture to reduce emissions, which many farmers already pursue through targeted farming practices,” Mr Park said.
“However, much more investment in research and development is needed for industry to reach its greatest potential in this area.”
