Australia’s Assistant Agricultural Minister, Senator Anthony Chisholm, recently toured a cotton gin and visited cotton growers while in St George, Qld, to attend a local government conference.

Senator Chisholm was shown around the Queensland Cotton Beardmore Gin by QC South-West Manager and Pricing Lead Brendan Murray. It was the Senator’s first visit to a cotton gin. Discussions at the gin focused on the importance of the cotton industry to the local community, and the associated impacts on the community from the very significant water acquisitions in the Lower Balonne as part of the implementation of the Basin Plan. Mr Murray said he was also able to inform the Minister about the cotton industry’s improvements in water use efficiency and the critical part played by irrigation in a town like St George. Other topics raised included the challenges around securing workforce and providing regional accommodation, and the significant impact tariff structures are having on the energy costs faced by irrigators and ginners.

Following the gin visit, the Senator visited nearby growers Hamish and Mary Macintyre. The Macintyres were able to provide firsthand reinforcement on the impacts being felt through energy price increases and the pressures on a community like St George from the loss of access to water due to the Basin Plan. The Macintyres also discussed the challenge of meeting labour requirements, including their efforts to get visas for skilled foreign workers, their positive experiences with the PALM scheme, and the importance of Working Holiday visas, not only for farmers but for regional communities.