David Littleproud
David Littleproud has been welcomed back to the Agriculture Ministry by Australia’s forest industries. Mr Littleproud will give up his water portfolio – described in some circles as a poisoned chalice following years of tension throughout the Murray-Darling Basin amid an unprecedented drought. Source: Timberbiz
He will return to agriculture as part of Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s new-look frontbench and he will retain his drought and emergency management portfolios.
“Minister Littleproud takes on this most important portfolio having already had experience in the role and has a great knowledge of the issues affecting agribusiness and regional communities across Australia including our renewable forest industries,” AFPA CEO Ross Hampton said.
“In 2018 Mr Littleproud launched the Government’s national forest industries plan, pledging a range of measures to deliver over the next ten years, including establishing one billion new production trees to provide the vital timber resource we need to secure our forest industry jobs into the future.”
The AFPA was confident it had a strong advocate for the thousands of regional Australians who were part of the renewable forest industries.
“That’s especially important right now as industry, and many of the communities which rely on it, face a massive recovery and rebuilding task following the devastating bushfires,’’ Mr Hampton said.
“We are confident he will hit the ground running, using his previous experience in the portfolio, and backed by the great work done by outgoing Minister for Agriculture Senator Bridget McKenzie.”
