Chris Minns talks agriculture at NSW Farm Writers lunch

NSW Premier Chris Minns has discussed all things agriculture at a NSW Farm Writers lunch on March 28, 2025. Video by Anvil Media.

Transcript

00:00If I don't support the buybacks, I've said that in Parliament, usually after Helen's

00:16asked me a question about it, but I've come to the conclusion myself, there's not an understanding

00:22of what it does, not just specifically to the individual licence holder that might take

00:28an environmental buyout, but to the community, a town like Griffith, a town like Wagga, those

00:35on the different water systems. We've said it repeatedly to the Commonwealth Government,

00:40they've got to be thinking about alternatives to buybacks because it's such a blunt instrument.

00:46Friends, I know that there are some sizeable plans for this industry to reach $30 billion

00:53by 2030, and it's a big dream, but I think it's also important to dream big in these

00:59emerging export-led industries, because here in New South Wales, our largest export item

01:04last year, the year before that, and the year before that, was coal. But every single one

01:09of the countries that are purchasing coal from New South Wales have indicated to us

01:14in the years ahead they'll purchase less of it. And to have a $30, $40 or $50 billion

01:21hole in our economy in the future means that we need industries that are the size of $30,

01:28$40 and $50 billion, that are looking for new markets around the world. So we need to

01:32fill that hole, and agriculture is one of the ways that we will do it.

01:40Australia doesn't place tariffs on the United States, and in return we quite rightly should

01:45send an unambiguous message from the political leaders across the spectrum in Australia that

01:51we rightly expect no tariffs on our goods too. Now I understand that the Commonwealth

01:57Government, as well as whoever wins the next federal election, has got a complicated task

02:01dealing with the United States, and it's unclear what the next step will be from the Trump

02:06Administration. But in a sense we have to send a message that goes beyond the next four

02:10years of this Administration to whoever wins the Presidency after that. But Australia wants

02:15and expects, as a good friend of the United States, low barriers of entry and trade, not

02:21just in Australia but around the world.

02:25If you could be Donald Trump for the day, and sign an executive order to do whatever

02:29you wanted to do, what would you do for regional New South Wales and agriculture?

02:35Why does Donald Trump have to do it?

02:39I'm signing an order today. We're bringing in an order. Did you see him talk about the

02:46astronauts? She's got big hair, big hair. We're going to get them out of the space station,

02:54bring them back down to Sydney. I'm signing an order today. What was the question?

03:02What executive order would you sign for agriculture if you could do it today?

03:07Good hospitals, good schools, good roads. If we do the basics right, I've got no doubt

03:12with the level of skill and ingenuity and optimism in regional communities they can

03:17take off.

03:18What sort of farmer do you reckon you would have been if you got the chance?

03:21A bad one. I'm from the city. I don't pretend to be something I'm not, but I am full of

03:25admiration for people that do it, and I think they do a great thing for the country.