Photo provided by the office of Nick Dametto MP.
Katter’s Australian Party Deputy Leader Nick Dametto has called for the state government to back agriculture training.
Mr Dametto has stressed the importance of Queensland’s agriculture industry and training after a shocking revelation only around 250 students completed a Certificate III in Agriculture in the last half decade.
“Industries like agriculture, mining and construction carried Queensland through its darkest days of the Covid pandemic,” he said
“Without primary industries such as these, our state’s economy would collapse, these industries deserve appropriate training to ensure the skilled workforce is there to carry them into the future.
“The agricultural and fisheries sector injected approximately $23.44 billion into the Queensland economy last financial year alone, this industry deserves reinvestment into training.
“Potential students and industry alike are in need of better local training options but many I speak to have simply given up on TAFE Queensland to resolve the training and skills shortage crisis in Queensland.
“In many cases, industry has stepped up to the plate and started to implement and run their own training programs to fill the skilled worker shortage.
“In 2021-22, Queensland produced more than half of Australia’s total produce of sugar cane, sorghum, capsicums, macadamias, sweet corn and cattle.
“Products in these large quantities don’t grow just by luck.”
Labor closed the doors for good on Queensland’s agricultural training colleges in 2019.
Mr Dametto said he wants the state Government to stop shying away from ag training.
“To ensure crops are grown with high productivity in mind while aligning with Government regulation and understanding the agronomy of the land, it’s important to have people educated in the field of agriculture to ensure farming has a future,” he said
“During this week’s estimates hearings, I will be putting questions to the Minister for Training and Skills Development to draw out what significant commitment this State is willing to make to turn agricultural training in Queensland around.”
