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Climate Change Research Priorities

Primary Industries and Resources Committee visit the Liverpool Plains

Liverpool Plains

Tony Windsor (left), Dick Adams (centre) and Sid Sidebottom (right), members of the Federal Government enquiry on farmers’ adaptation to climate change, at the property of Cam McKellar “Inverary” Spring Ridge.

The Australian Parliamentary Standing Committee on Primary Industries and Resources is currently conducting an inquiry into the role of government in assisting Australian farmers to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Three members of the committee visited three farms on the Liverpool Plains.

Tony Windsor Member for New England and member of the committee invited Bob Martin to accompany the on a tour of the Liverpool Plains on 2nd July. The committee was represented by Dick Adams (chair) and Sid Sidebottom. The invitation to join the tour was extended to NSW I&I technical experts John Kneipp (technical specialist northern farming systems), Loretta Serafin (District Agronomist Tamworth) and Bill Manning (District Agronomist Gunnedah).

David Wallis "Manuka" Quirindi and Cam McKellar "Inverary" Spring Ridge strongly promoted biological farming and claimed to have increased their soil organic matter from <2% to >3%. Biological farming involves ploughing and there was a lot of discussion about the sustainability of this with regard to soil erosion and destruction of soil structure. Andrew Pursehouse "Breeza Station" Breeza stood by his no-till system with long-term adoption of no-tillage and sustainable rotation of cereals with grain legumes such as faba beans. The practices of biological farming and no-tillage need to be compared for their capacity to store carbon, increase soil biological activity and adapt to climate change.