[Pil-pc-oceania] Agriculture tackles Govt's emissions trading system (Farmonline)

[Deb Guildner]

Agriculture tackles Govt's emissions trading system
28/04/2008 6:43:00 PM
Leaders from every agricultural sector met in Canberra today to discuss with 
the Federal ministers for climate change and agriculture just how and when 
farmers will fit into Australia's emissions trading scheme.
The rural roundtable on emissions trading was convened by Minister for 
Climate Change, Penny Wong, and Minister for Agriculture, Tony Burke, to 
work out how the farm sector will be considered when an emissions trading 
scheme is underway by 2010.

Among the group representing farmers at the roundtable are: National Farmers 
Federation president David Crombie; NSW Farmers Association president Jock 
Laurie; Northern Territory Cattleman's Association president Roy Chisolm; 
AgForce president Peter Kenny; Victorian Farmers Federation president Simon 
Ramsay; Cattle Council president Bill Bray; Grains Council of Australia 
president Murray Jones and MLA chairman Don Heatley.

"The Rudd Government is committed to working with the agricultural sector on 
a range of issues relating to the way the new scheme will affect farmers," 
Sen Wong said.

"This work will play an important role in the Government's Green Paper on 
emissions trading, to be released in July."

Mr Burke said he would continue to ensure agriculture had a place at the 
table for the emissions trading scheme discussions.

"Today's meeting is the next step in an ongoing dialogue and Senator Wong 
and I will ask our departments to work with industry representatives on key 
issues arising from the discussions."

Today's discussions focused on key features of the scheme announced by the 
Government to date, the future timetable, and further consultation 
processes.

* For more information on climate change and the emissions trading scheme: 
www.climatechange.gov.au

SOURCE: Rural Press National News Service, Parliament House Bureau, 
Canberra.