Shane McCarthy, AgForce - Fuel crisis (12 March)

0:00Rural Queensland today, Ben Dolman, across the Resonate Broadcast Network. It is the 12th of March. Shane McCarthy joined just the president of our force. And we're going to continue on this fuel issue because it is massive now. It is very real. And you heard from Matt Cahnavan a little earlier. Firstly, Shane, good morning. You must be terribly well done to David Littleproud, who steered the National Party. But the selection of Matt Cahnavan as the leader of the National Party is the biggest tick we've had in some time. Morning, Ben, and listeners. And yeah, I think that's a pretty good move by the National Gods. Yeah, I mean, it's obviously, obviously there is some issues going on at the moment and wind and solar is one. But the fuel crisis at the moment, and I read your statement yesterday to your members. But this is as serious as it gets now. We have two petrol stations completely out of diesel and going to Windy. There is reports, different organisations,

1:01different towns are completely out. Chris Bowen says that there's enough fuel here. Well, why isn't it being distributed? Why is it not being pushed out to the regions where it is so urgently needed? Mate, the panic out there, well, I wouldn't say the panic. I'd say more of the anger out there that these guys are about to crop or about to put crops in. And they can't get the fuel to do what they need to do. And it's just not the crop is. It's people trying to move stock. It's people just trying to get somewhere. We started to talk animal welfare issues as well if I'm moving some cattle somewhere. And then all of a sudden I can't move anywhere because I can't get anywhere because I'm out of fuel. I don't care about the reason or how many stocks, the evidence is on the ground that the fuel's not there. It is gravely concerning that in the short period of time

2:04we can basically run out of fuel. So what is, I know, as a peaked body, what are you guys doing? I mean, how do we fix this? This just can't go on. We cannot be in a situation where farming families can't plant crops that feed the nation. Like this is unheard of and the flow on effect will be catastrophic. Ben, look, we've been talking about this for years, 10 years or more that we've been going to governments and various governments saying, we're worried about the amount of fuel, the amount of fertilizer in the country. Well, we've been talking about it for a long time now. I think it's about time when we started, we stopped talking about it and actually started doing something about it and make sure that in these sorts of times we've got the ability to get fuel to the places that we need.

3:07I mean, the truck stops, the food stops coming to the cities and that's as simple as it is. So how do we get the fuel? I know that it's simple, but how do we get, like, there is mayhem at the moment and they're reporting difficulty and farmers are reporting all across this state in Queensland and New South Wales that they cannot get access to fuel and it's being blamed on the Iran conflict. The reports of panic buying in regional towns make one bloke rolled into a service station with a fuel truck to try and fill out of the boughs that prices have gone up considerably. And we spoke with Brendan Taylor on Tuesday about this and he said it's a difficult situation. Well, it's more than a difficult situation. Now we've now got the situation where literally people will not start tracking this year. There has to be a solution. But there is the solutions around there. It's just that we just have sat on a hand for so long

4:10about it that, you know, every time something like this happens we talk about, you know, oh, we've got to fix that and then the crisis finishes and it goes into the background. It's, we've just got to get on with doing what we need to do to make sure that we have enough fuel, we have enough fertilizer to make sure that we can feed. Let's forget about exporting everything at the moment. Let's feed just to feed ourselves. That's that we need to stop talking about doing the solutions to there, whether it's biofuel, whether it's having, you know, be able to produce with the refineries or what. But we need to be stopped talking about those solutions and start putting some of those solutions in place. And that's the thing that I think a lot of people need to understand, who do you guys go to in these instances? Is it going, trying to get a meeting with Chris Bowen?

5:10I mean, I understand when you try to look at the vegetation laws, you're trying to talk with Murray Watts, you know, but who do you talk to in this moment? Look, I, you know, I know it's a, it's a national crisis, but at the moment, I think we're going to get more out of the state government to actually do something. These guys want to actually seem to do something. So I think we need to go, the state government need to just take the matter into their own hands and not wait for the feds to do something. And let's just make sure that we've got enough food here. I mean, we've got most of the half the, the cattle herd in Queensland anyway. So let's just, you know, maybe it's something that the state government can just say, look, you know, we're going to take into matter into our own hands and do something for the state. And, you know, I hate to say it, but let the other states worry about their own work. Yeah, it doesn't seem, it doesn't seem to be, it doesn't drastic everywhere else,

6:12but it needs to be fixed here, here, yeah. I can't get over what this one, how are you progressing, obviously, with the tick line and the veg laws? They're the other two big pressing things at the moment. We've got some floods in Chinchilla, obviously, and some flooding in North and Australia. But this tick line is starting to heat up again. And obviously, and obviously the veg laws. Yeah, look, Tony Parrot, we've been talking to Tony, Tony directly, and look, he wants to find a solution to it. Look, we're probably, we're over G for a review on what all the processes are to find out, you know, what is working, what is not working? And, you know, make sure that we sit down, work out what's working, what's not working, and fix those problems as well. I mean, and, Dobbo, I've got to say that best state government

7:12is open to solutions, and, you know, they are willing to look at anything, and find the solution, and, you know, they just seem to want to get stuff done, which is, look, it's great to have a government state government like that, at least. Yeah, I absolutely agree, and they are doing a great job. I don't necessarily like the redistribution of electorates, but that's a whole nother story, and I know that they haven't been, they're gonna look at it, but they're, you know, less, less electorates for the regions isn't a great thing in my opinion, and more in the cities is not a great thing. We will obviously look at that over time as well. This fuel crisis is pressing, but we appreciate you giving me some time this morning. Thanks so much for being with us, mate. A lot going on, and I know that you guys are frustrated with it as equally as well. We just hope that there can be a solution. Mate, well, thanks a lot of any time, mate, but, you know, we will find a solution, and, you know, with these guys, we will get it done.

8:13We appreciate your time. This is Rural Queens Land today. Shane MacArthur, President of Agforce, we'll take a break, come back with more.