I am so sorry I cannot be at the Wimmera Machinery Field Days in person for the first time in years but I have good news – I am a woman on a mission, for you, in Canberra this week!

In Canberra this week I, with Nationals colleagues, am bringing prime agricultural land to the fore as we presented a Bill on Monday - which I wrote - called the Prime Agricultural Land Protection Bill 2026.  NSW Nationals MP Alison Penfold introduced the Bill, as I have Shadow Ministry responsibilities.

I have been fighting for regional communities in Mallee and responding to the horrifying stories of poor treatment of farming families and shocking community consultation.  On Monday, The Nationals drew a line in the sand on the railroading of regional communities by saying the Commonwealth should not fund projects that trash prime ag land.

Food and fibre doesn’t just happen, nor does good farming soil.  Prime Ag land is a managed system – fertilised, irrigated, cultivated, protected from erosion, nurtured by our farmers – for generations - to provide food security for Australians.

Recent government-backed projects have treated Mallee, intergenerational farming families and prime agricultural land with utter contempt.

I am proud to have prepared a Bill that says social licence matters, that appoints an independent umpire - a federal Agricultural Commissioner - when big business uses the government power to force their way onto your farm.  

I am proud to promote mapping our prime agricultural land and saying incompatible projects won’t happen on our best farming soil.  We need prime ag land to grow food and fibre for generations to come.  The world’s population is getting bigger while good farming land is disappearing.  We must protect our most vital national asset.

In my 1,500 km travels to communities in Mallee last week including Birchip, Horsham, Natimuk and Pyramid Hill, one after another people came to me asking – how are we going to protect our prime ag land?

The Prime Agricultural Land Protection Bill 2026 is a big step in that direction.  We must get our priorities in order and food security is number one.

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