Message from Scott Hansen, Summer 2020

After a year like no other, with the triple challenges of drought, bushfires and COVID-19 we are now at the beginning of a new season and a fresh page in the story of NSW Primary Industries.

After a year like no other, with the triple challenges of drought, bushfires and COVID-19 we are now at the beginning of a new season and a fresh page in the story of NSW Primary Industries.

As favourable seasonal conditions have returned to NSW, so too has a great sense of optimism.

For some farmers this is their first harvest in three years - and what a harvest it is has been.

At DPI we are working to protect this long-awaited and hard-earned recovery. The keys to this are strong biosecurity – with a record $36.1 million announced in the NSW Government’s Budget in November, and market access - helping producers to get their product into key markets and keeping them abreast of critical developments as they occur.

Also announced in the NSW Government’s budget were more than $50 million for research and development initiatives as part of the World Class Food and Fibre program, and more than $28 million for the Marine Estate Management Strategy that protects and enhances our waterways, coastline and estuaries. This investment shows the importance of the people, communities and industries we serve.

I’m also very pleased to see the Bushfire Industry Recovery Package in action across the state helping to repair and rebuild infrastructure, support diversification, and futureproof our supply chains, and to see the industry moving back towards more normal operations as border restrictions ease following the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Your feedback in response to the COVID-19 updates we have produced over the past year has informed the new, seasonal updates we are beginning with this Summer message. It’s something we intend to continue as we share stories, resources and information relevant to each point in the production cycle.

This year we celebrated 130 years of DPI. This milestone feels particularly poignant as we reflect on the ongoing impact of drought, bushfires, and COVID-19.

This year was unprecedented - but the resilience, hard work and innovation I saw in the response of the whole sector, and that I heard in the stories of DPI’s history, reminded me that these traits aren’t new. They are part of who we are and always will be.

I look forward to continuing to build stronger primary industries with you in 2021.

- Scott Hansen, Director General, Department of Primary Industries