Better Internet and Telecommunications Key to Future of Aussie Agriculture

Having better Internet and telecommunications is key to the future of Australian agriculture. This involves implementing significant improvements in the Internet and telecom infrastructures in rural, regional, and remote areas in the country.
According to Growcom, the peak representative body for Queensland horticulture that includes  fruit, vegetable, and nut growers, it is vital for the federal government to increase investment in information and research for the future of the horticulture industry.
The organisation welcomes the recent report  of the House of Representatives’ Standing Committee on Agriculture and Industry entitled “Smart Farming – Inquiry into Agricultural Innovation.” The committee made several recommendations concerning agricultural innovation to the federal government.
The Standing Committee on Agriculture and Industry called for improved Internet and telecommunications in regional Australia and gave the Australian government several recommendations including the following:
 

1. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, in cooperation with industry, should undertake a technical study to identify cost-effective approaches to using satellite services as backhaul for local wireless networks for agricultural applications.

2. The Mobile Black Spot Programme should continue beyond the second round, and the Department of Communications and the Arts consider changes or additions to the selection criteria to better capture the telecommunications requirements of agricultural activity.

3. The federal government should investigate incentives for mobile network operators to provide roaming services in rural and remote areas.

4. The Department of Agriculture of Water Resources, in conjunction with public and private infrastructure providers, should publish consolidated information about the availability of telecommunications services in rural and remote agricultural areas.

5. The Council of Rural Research and Development Corporations, in conjunction with research and training providers and producer groups, should coordinate the development and delivery of educational resources to raise awareness of innovative applications of telecommunication services across the agricultural industry.

As reported in Queensland Country Life, the Committee’s  inquiry recognised the pivotal role of the Internet and telecommunications in the delivery of government and private sector services to regional areas in the country. The federal election statement of Growcom also calls for a boost in public and private investment in improved statistical data collection and analysis regarding horticultural industries.
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