The appointment of Mark Lewis as Minister for Agriculture and Food has been welcomed by WAFarmers.
Mr Lewis was announced as the new Minister by Premier Colin Barnett this afternoon, following the resignation of former Minister Dean Nalder from the Agriculture and Transport portfolios on the weekend.
WAFarmers President Tony York this week called for a dedicated Minister for Agriculture and Food, and welcomed Mr Lewis’ appointment to the role.
“We are pleased that industry concerns about shared responsibility between portfolios have been addressed, and that the sector now has a Minister that is going to be focused solely on agriculture and developing its potential locally, nationally and internationally,” Mr York said.
“To have Mr Barnett acknowledge the importance of a dedicated Minister for agriculture is a real win. Agriculture represents an incredibly important part of the Western Australian economy, and to have a Minister focus all of his attention on the issues facing the sector will be a huge step forward.”
Mr York said stability for the industry was greatly needed and deserved, and that the appointment of Mr Lewis would work towards this goal.
“While his sudden resignation was extremely frustrating, Mr Nalder made some good ground during his tenure, acknowledging the work needed to strengthen the Department of Agriculture and Food WA and the industry at large,” Mr York said.
“Minister Lewis has extensive experience in the agricultural and pastoral spaces and, as a Member for the Mining and Pastoral Region, we have confidence in his ability to understand the intricacies of issues affecting agriculture and to provide stable leadership for the sector.
“We look forward to working alongside Minister Lewis so that, together, we can work towards ensuring a viable, profitable and sustainable future for the agricultural industry.”
ENDS.
All media requests must be directed to WAFarmers Media and Communications Officer Melanie Dunn on (08) 9486 2100 or [email protected].
