BRYANT, Ms Courtney, Assistant Secretary, Agricultural Policy Division, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry FINNIN, Dr Peter, First Assistant Secretary, Biosecurity Strategy and Reform Division, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry McGILVRAY, Ms Heather, Assistant Secretary, Climate Policy Branch, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry CHAIR: Welcome. I understand that information on parliamentary privilege and the protection of witnesses giving evidence to committees has been provided to you. I now invite you to make an opening statement, if you have an opening statement. At the conclusion of any remarks, I'll invite members of the committee to ask questions. Dr Finnin : The department welcomes the opportunity to appear before the committee today and contribute to its inquiry into preparing for emerging industries across northern Australia. Agriculture is already a well-established and critical part of northern Australia's economy. In 2020-21, it contributed around $8.2 billion to the region, representing about 12 per cent of Australia's total agricultural gross value of production. The department supports established and emerging industries in northern Australia through a mix of targeted and national activities. This includes helping industries adapt to climate change, improve sustainability, strengthen their market readiness, respond to biosecurity threats, build workforce capability and accelerate innovation in emerging sectors. As you would be aware, Australia has recently confirmed detections of H5 avian influenza, or H5 bird flu, in wild birds. There are currently three confirmed detections in migratory seabirds—two in Western Australia and one in South Australia. There have been no detections in poultry, and there is no evidence of large-scale mortality in any animals. The current risk to the people in Australia remains low. Whilst these detections have occurred in southern Australia, they are an important reminder of the pathways by which diseases can enter the country, including those relevant to northern Australia. Importantly, they also demonstrate that Australia's surveillance, preparedness and response systems are working as intended. Under national biosecurity arrangements, states are leading on-ground operational responses, with Western Australia and South Australia responding swiftly, and national coordination is being led by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. This includes close coordination across all jurisdictions and with partners in environment and human health sectors, ensuring that our activities are aligned across the full One Health system. From a Northern Australia perspective, the committee can be assured that the systems, governance arrangements and investments in preparedness are being actively tested and strengthened through this process. This experience will be directly relevant in the event of any future incursions, including in northern Australia. The department is also engaging with the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee and will be providing a briefing to the committee on H5 bird flu next week. We welcome any questions from the committee. CHAIR: Thank you, Dr Finnin. Senator Smith. Senator DEAN SMITH: Can you give me an update, insofar as DAFF is involved, on the first point of entry arrangements for the Port of Wyndham? Dr Finnin : I certainly can. As you're probably aware, the first point of entry relates to a specific determination that's made under the Biosecurity Act, which provides approval, if you like, for certain sorts of people, cargoes, vessels and conveyances to arrive at a particular first point of entry. In relation to the work of the Port of Wyndham, we are working very closely with the Kimberley Ports Authority and also Australian Border Force to facilitate design and construction of infrastructure to support their expanded border activity at that port, and this includes importation of containers for the future export of cotton. From our perspective, this is progressing well, with the department currently reviewing an updated concept design which we received from the Kimberley Ports Authority in late May. It's important for the department to review that design and confirm that the infrastructure that will be available will be able to support the effective management of the biosecurity risk that would be associated with bringing a different sort of cargo—in this case, containers—into that port. As I'm sure we all appreciate, containers can bring a whole range of biosecurity risks into the country, particularly associated with what we often term hitchhiker pests—things like the giant African snail, khapra beetle and the brown marmorated stink bug. What we need to ensure with any new or emerging port—in fact, any port around the country—is that the facilities that they have will be able to deal with any biosecurity risk material that arrives. Obviously, the sorts of material that could arrive will depend on the sorts of cargo coming in. That's the purpose of the determination, so we will continue to work not only with Border Force to ensure that there are appropriate amenities for staff to operate in that environment but also, most importantly, with the port authority to ensure that there is the right infrastructure to facilitate biosecurity examination and, if biosecurity risk does arrive, we have the appropriate facilities to manage that risk. Senator DEAN SMITH: What are the key features of the concept design that's been provided to you by the Kimberley Ports Authority? Dr Finnin : I don't have details of that, but, from our perspective, some of the things that we are looking for include container stands to facilitate appropriate inspection of containers on all six sides, wash bays, wash storage areas and staff amenities, as well as, particularly, fumigation areas for the management of biosecurity risk. Senator DEAN SMITH: When do you expect to have completed your review of the updated concept design? Dr Finnin : I don't have a particular timeframe in the material that's in front of me, but I know that the teams are working as quickly as they can, because we are very focused on ensuring that this project continues to move forward. I can seek to get a further update on notice if you would like. Senator DEAN SMITH: Yes, please. I'm keen to get the anticipated confirmation or otherwise of the concept design. So an updated concept design was provided. Is that because you sought improvements to the original concept design? Dr Finnin : Apologies, Senator. I'm not across that level of detail, but I suspect there was probably feedback from both ourselves and Border Force through that process. Senator DEAN SMITH: Did DAFF make any special requests in regard to staff amenities as part of the infrastructure to be provided on the site? Dr Finnin : Nothing beyond what would be usual for any arrangements around first points of entry right around the country. It is important that we have staff onsite to carry out those functions, and they will need basic amenities to support them in those activities. But I'm not aware of any particular special requests that we've made beyond what would be within any normal first point of entry determination. Senator DEAN SMITH: What would be usual in regard to staff amenities? Dr Finnin : As you would expect, access to bathrooms and the like, meeting rooms and otherwise areas in which we can store equipment, particularly for the management of biosecurity risk. Senator DEAN SMITH: Is there a requirement for sleeping quarters, given its remoteness? Dr Finnin : Not to my knowledge, but I can confirm that on notice. Senator DEAN SMITH: If there were any other requests, could you provide that on notice. If there are any features of the staff amenity infrastructure that are unique to the Port of Wyndham site or uncommon in other staff amenities around the country, if you could provide that on notice as well, that would be great. Dr Finnin : No problem. Senator DEAN SMITH: Great, thank you very much. CHAIR: Mr Smith. Mr MATT SMITH: At the end of the report here, there's a little bit about some of the emerging opportunities. One that has been floated around in my part of the world, particularly in the Mossman area, given that the Mossman mill has recently gone under and has really impacted the sugar-growing community, is bana grass, which I understand to be a biofuel. Does the department have any position on bana grass as an opportunity? Is it something that should be continued to be looked at? Obviously Mossman was highly dependent on sugar cane and on its mill, and this has been really devastating for that little town. They are desperate to find their next step, because they've got all this agricultural land but currently nothing to grow on it. Ms McGilvray : First off, the department doesn't have a particular view on the role of that type of feedstock, but we are doing work currently in the area of development of a feedstock industry in Australia as part of the government's broader suite of activity around supporting domestic production of bioenergy. I think you may have had some witnesses earlier in the day that have spoken to some of these overarching policy settings around working with industry on measures to develop and drive demand for uptake of bioenergy in the Australian economy and the investments the government is making into the Cleaner Fuels Program to support bioenergy production. We've been working on a national bioenergy feedstock strategy, which has been looking at the range of feedstock opportunities across Australia and what might be needed to position different parts of ag and forestry to be able to respond to this developing market. Certainly the types of feedstocks that have been coming up generally include existing feedstocks that are produced across Australian agriculture, like canola and tallow. The sugar industry certainly has a very strong interest and potential in the development of this industry. I am aware that there are a number of production facilities contemplated in the north, and they are working with different segments of the feedstock industry, including sugar, around opportunities in that area. There are also a range of more novel feedstocks that are being contemplated, such as pongamia and carinata, which are opportunities that can develop over time. In our work, we haven't been preferencing one feedstock over another; that's generally something that will emerge as the market develops. It's more about the underpinnings that will enable different feedstock opportunities to step in and enter into the market. Mr MATT SMITH: A lot of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities up on the cape and in the Torres Strait are very keen on becoming more self-sufficient. Food security is a very real problem for our remote and discrete communities because of the nature of the distance and the wet season. What role and support is available to councils in particular, because councils are generally the largest employer and the only industry in these towns that have the capacity to do so, to get into the agriculture industry? Abattoirs come up again and again—the ability to farm and process their own meat so they're less reliant on the barge coming in, which can be cyclone dependent or even fuel dependent these days. Dr Finnin : Unfortunately, none of us here represent parts of the department who deal with the meat-processing sector, so we probably won't be able to provide you with answers today on that. But we're happy to take those questions and provide you with some answers on notice in relation to that particular question. In broader terms, there are a range of programs that the department is involved in and administers that do go to some of those things around First Nations self-sufficiency that you're talking about. One thing that perhaps is worth highlighting is the role of the Indigenous Ranger Biosecurity Program in the north. It's a really vital component of our national biosecurity system and really underpins our ability to undertake surveillance activities across the north of Australia, right from the east through to the west in those regions. It's that vital connection to country that our First Nations peoples have. They're on country. They know their country. They are best placed to be able to provide us with that first intelligence that something that we should be concerned about might have entered the country. So certainly, under that program, we continue to foster that relationship with First Nations communities right across the north. We're partnering with 71 First Nations ranger organisations across the north at present on that, and it continues to be an opportunity to build capacity of biosecurity rangers. It's a way in which we can connect with communities, and it's a way of ensuring that our vital biosecurity surveillance activities are undertaken and provide that early warning system to alert us if biosecurity threats are arriving. CHAIR: I'm not sure who to ask, but I'll pose the question to you. In your submission to the committee—and thank you for the submission—it said there is a total of $2.2 million to deliver three projects in the Northern Territory: doing an agricultural soil and land management manual, sustainable pastoral carrying capacity, and soil knowledge capacity. Who are you doing that with? Is that with the Northern Territory government? Ms Bryant : We have some information on that one. There are several projects which are benefiting Northern Australia. That's the $2.29 million to deliver three projects. There's the Northern Territory Agricultural Soil and land management manual; sustainable pastoral carrying capacities for improved land management practices and soil conditions across Northern Territory rangelands; and soil knowledge capacity in northern Australia. In terms of those, we're partnering through the National Soil Action Plan, which I understand is in partnership with the states and territories. CHAIR: There is a question from the deputy chair. Research drove the success of the new cotton industry in the East Kimberley. What are the current research programs relevant to agriculture in northern Australia? Ms Bryant : There's a range of research and development we do through our regional development corporations, which are co-funded between levies from industry and Australian government investment. That obviously includes meat and livestock given the cattle industry is very significant in northern Australia. So there's a range of work they do in northern Australia around that. We also have AgriFutures. Part of their remit is to look at emerging industries and opportunities there. So there are a number that are quite relevant to northern Australia, particularly hemp, sesame, crocodile and coffee. Those are just some of the examples. AgriFutures is looking at opportunities around some of those, and it could develop them out for northern Australia. We also have cotton. We have an RDC that looks at cotton. Obviously, there are opportunities around it for northern Australia as well. Industry forecasts indicate that, in the Northern Territory by 2030, approximately 77,000 hectares will produce 400,000 bales of cotton, generating $200 million worth of gross revenue. CHAIR: On what sort of estate has that been? Is that NT estate or is it pastoral land estate? Ms Bryant : I don't think I have the information there, but we can definitely take that one on notice and find that out for you. CHAIR: Thank you, Ms Bryant. One of the things that we've been working through as the committee is looking at emerging industries, and part of that is looking at First Nations people being part of those industries. What's the department's—do you have information? Your submission talks about First Nation biosecurity officers, the Indigenous Ranger Biosecurity Program. You're talking about First Nations people in your workforce. Where is that at at the moment, developing that biosecurity program and First Nation people's involvement in that? Dr Finnin : Certainly, Senator. CHAIR: No—MP not senator! Dr Finnin : My apologies. I'm too used to coming to estimates hearings! There are a range of ways in which that plays out. One thing we are really proud of is that, up in the Torres Strait region, the department's workforce in the biosecurity office up there is 100 per cent First Nations staff. We have officers on each of the inhabited islands across there, apart from two. That's really important, particularly in relation to the management of biosecurity risks that might be coming down through some traditional movements from PNG, but, equally, there are many natural pathways there. Those staff play a really important role on the front line. I mentioned that I was talking to your colleague about the Indigenous Ranger Biosecurity Program and the work that we do partnering with 71 individual ranger groups across the north. That's a really critical element up there. One of the really important things we do, as part of that program, is administer grant programs on a biannual basis to enable ranger groups to improve their capacity to deliver activities. We will then enter into fee-for-service contracts with those ranger organisations to actually deliver on-the-ground surveillance activities on our behalf. It's about improving their capacity to deliver activities. It improves their capability in a whole range of functions, so it's not just about the biosecurity, and it enables them to broaden out, particularly in relation to effective land management on their country. We really value that program. Some of the other initiatives that we have under what we call our NAPCaRN program—you will have to bear with me while I quickly find my page so that I can tell you what that means. It's the northern Australia capacity—have you found it? No, that's not the one. Essentially, that program is about trying to ensure that we have a pipeline of capability coming into the north. One of the challenges in the north, as you would appreciate, is that getting appropriately qualified capabilities in the north can be challenging. That program is looking to work with locals to build their own capabilities so that we grow the capacity in the north rather than having to try to import it from somewhere else. That has a real focus in partnering with First Nations communities. So, we have a pathway for those who are seeking a career in biosecurity. There are a range of programs, including Indigenous apprenticeship programs, which enable First Nations people to enter those workforces, build those capabilities and be able to work at home, on country, having built their skills and capabilities. It's really valuable, from our point of view, in trying to make sure that we are delivering against what First Nations communities are wanting. CHAIR: In terms of some of the Indigenous programs that you've done, I noticed in 2023 the department funded the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation to develop Australia's first Indigenous Agriculture Project Framework. Has that been produced or provided? Is that framework in place? Ms Bryant : The final report has been published on the NFF's website. CHAIR: The cattle industry is critical across northern Australia, particularly the Northern Territory. We had lumpy skin. There was another biosecurity threat that was happening with cattle. How are we? I know that there was some good education and promotion with the Cattlemen's Association. Have we seen any emergence across northern Australia with that threat from Indonesia? Dr Finnin : The threat from Indonesia remains. Lumpy skin disease certainly emerged. Probably the other one you're searching for is foot-and-mouth disease, which re-emerged in Indonesia two or three years ago, now. We have obviously been watching all of those developments in Indonesia very carefully, as both of those diseases have moved further east along the archipelago. Recently, there were some detections in Bali that were a bit concerning. We continue to work with the Indonesian government where we can. We will provide support to them, and we have previously provided support to ensure that they have access to high-quality vaccines so that cattle in Indonesia can be vaccinated as part of managing those disease outbreaks. We continue to watch those developments in Indonesia very closely, but, very pleasingly, there has been no suggestion at all that either of those diseases have entered northern Australia. CHAIR: Then, the last one from me is about crocodiles, which is an important industry and emerging in some areas. Where are we at with the plan? I know that the department was working on a crocodile management plan. Was it a crocodile management plan or a sustainability plan? Dr Finnin : You'll have to bear with us. We have some information, but we may not have all the information. CHAIR: You can take it on notice if you like, and that can come back to the committee, if that helps. Ms Bryant : I'm aware of investments we've made through R&D, but I'm not aware of a plan. We can look into that one. There was a report released by the Northern Territory government in 2025, and we can follow up. CHAIR: There are no other further questions, and I don't think the deputy chair had any further questions. Thank you for your evidence today. The committee has agreed that responses to any questions on notice should be provided within two weeks of you receiving a copy of the Hansard transcript. We'll write and get those questions. Thank you very much..