19 July 2019
Regional Development Australia (RDA) Orana Chairman John Walkom has welcomed Prime Minister Scott Morrison's plan to boost the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sector in Australia. The announcement to make it a $100 billion industry by 2030 came during the Daily Telegraph's Bush Summit held in Dubbo on July 18.
"We support the Morrison government's aim to drive jobs in regional and rural communities as that is also our priority, to see these areas grow and prosper," Mr Walkom said.
The outline involves developing more markets, removing trade barriers and forging new investment in research and development.
This commitment is 100 per cent welcomed by RDA Orana and we look forward to working with Prime Minister Morrison's government more in the future," Mr Walkom said.
Mr Morrison also revealed that a parliamentary committee will be established to examine the future needs of rural and regional economies.
In his address to the Bush Summit, Mr Morrison said that 'success will come from building resilience.'
Minister for Regional Services, Decentralisation and Local Government, Assistant Trade and Investment Minister, and Member for Parkes Hon. Mark Coulton said he was pleased to welcome the Prime Minister back to the Dubbo region for the second time in three months, to take part in the Bush Summit.
"I welcome every opportunity to have the Prime Minister visit and get to know the issues that matter most to us here in the Parkes electorate," Mr Coulton said.
"There is so much potential in regional Australia, and I'm thrilled that through events such as the Bush Summit, we can continue to assist regional Australian communities to be vibrant and strong into the future. The work of RDA Orana supports this vision.
"Likewise, I was extremely pleased to join the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister for a visit to the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) Dubbo base on Thursday, which is an integral organisation for people in the bush."