Latest News

A new icebreaker will form the centrepiece of Australia’s largest ever investment in its Antarctic program, it was revealed in Senate Budget Estimates today.

Senator for South Australia Anne Ruston said the overall aim of the investment was to cement Australia’s position as the global gateway to Antarctica.

The Australian Government has delivered on its election commitments to the agricultural sector, providing a substantial increase in funding for biosecurity and rural research and development.

Senator for South Australia Anne Ruston said the Government would provide an additional $100 million over four years for collaborative projects involving rural research and development corporations.

The Australian Government has started the ball rolling on a national approach to fruit fly, committing $80,000 in new funding for the coordination of the National Fruit Fly Strategy (NFFS).

Senator for South Australia Anne Ruston welcomed the announcement and said she was looking forward to seeing the strategy rolled out.

South Australian primary producers are big winners with the announcement this week that a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) had been finalised between Australia and Japan.

Senator for South Australia Anne Ruston said the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement (JAEPA), concluded during Prime Minister Tony Abbott's visit to Japan this week, had significant benefits for primary industries in South Australia.

The Abbott Government today announced that NBN Co will spend more than $34 million to purchase additional satellite capacity for users of the National Broadband Network's (NBN's) Interim Satellite Service (ISS)and provide access to satellite broadband for another 9000 consumers.

Senator for South Australia Anne Ruston said the Government had been forced into action to clean up another Labor mess.

Labor’s attempt to whitewash its appalling record with the National Broadband Network through a Senate committee has only exposed the stunning incompetence of its former communications minister, Senator Conroy.

Senator for South Australia Anne Ruston, a member of the Senate Select Committee on the NBN, said the interim report of the Labor-dominated committee tabled in the Senate today was a transparent attempt to mislead the Australian public.

Loxton will host a public hearing of the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee as it investigates fruit fly management in South Australia.

Senator for South Australia Anne Ruston said the public hearing, to be held on 16 April, was for the committee’s inquiry into the implications of the use of fenthion on Australia’s horticultural industry.

Taxpayers have subsidised poorly performing satellite broadband services to the tune of $7300 per user thanks to the former Labor government’s incompetence in managing the National Broadband Network (NBN).

Senator for South Australia Anne Ruston said Estimates hearings this week continued to unearth stunning examples of Labor’s waste and incompetence while in government.

South Australia’s agricultural community is being urged to have its say on the future of the industry following the release today of an issues paper on agricultural competitiveness by Minister for Agriculture Barnaby Joyce.

Minister Joyce, who in December released the Government’s Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper, has called on Australians to get involved in the process.

A more representative industry structure, better resourced market access efforts and urgent steps to prepare for and deal with biosecurity issues are key recommendations in a report on the Australian citrus industry tabled in Federal Parliament today.

Senator for South Australia Anne Ruston said the report on a review of the industry conducted by the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee earlier this year found that while the citrus industry faced numerous challenges they were not insurmountable.