Sustainable innovation featured at Hort Connections

By Joanna Cave – Chief Executive Officer, Greenlife Industry Australia

A keystone event in the Australian horticulture calendar is the Hort Connections conference and trade show, which was presented in Brisbane again this year. Attending for the first time, I found myself deeply impressed by the scale and professionalism of the event. Sustainable innovation featured throughout the program and there was a lot of focus on how the growers of Australia’s food crops might harness new technology in their business models to meet the future.

The conference also provided an opportunity for industry to hear from the recently appointed Agriculture Minister, Murray Watt, whose portfolio also includes emergency management. The appointment is a promotion for Senator Watt, who has embraced the opportunity energetically, and is signalling a strong interest in biosecurity, action on climate change and employment in the regions. Other key appointments announced by the Albanese government include:

• The Hon. Tanya Plibersek MP, Minister for Environment & Water
• The Hon. Chris Bowen MP, Minister for Climate Change & Energy
• The Hon. Tony Burke MP, Minister for Employment & Trade Relations
• The Hon. Brendan O’Connor MP, Minister for Skills & Training
• The Hon. Catherine King MP, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development & Local Government

It’s early days, but the new Ministry provides some clues to the Government’s likely priorities. The creation of a new super-department, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, combined with the division of these two portfolios between long-time Labor shadow Minsters, Bowen and Plibersek, suggest the new Prime Minister will be focussing strongly on these subjects.

GIA will be keeping the greenlife industry closely informed. Meanwhile, get in touch and let me know what changes you would like to see.