Ms O’CONNOR – In the consultation, Minister, on the Food Resilience Strategy and this is one where you can put your climate minister’s hat on as well. The Australian National Climate Risk Assessment points to specific risks to communities’ cohesion, safety, liveability related to food insecurity as a result of disruptions to the climate system, rainfall patterns, et cetera.
How much has the science of the climate risk assessment, if at all, informed the development of a food resilience strategy?
Ms OGILVIE – Well, it’s a good question. I am very aware of some superb work that our agricultural sector is doing into climate and risk. We’ve got our climate change action plans and the work that we’re doing, particularly in the agricultural sector, with climate change resilience action is good. I mention that because that’s where the food comes from. A number of our organisations deal directly with farmgate. They go; they pick up the food from the farmers and redistribute it. It’s all connected.
I’m a climate change believer. I want to see work we do in that area that is incredibly meaningful that delivers better outcomes. I think, outside of the agricultural sector, when you’re looking at what work we could do from perhaps a science space in climate change as well. Things like, and I have the environment portfolio as well, but things like circular economy, working with community gardens, which I love. Again, we need a strategic approach to community gardens. That’s something I’m taking on as a passion project as incoming minister.
I’m working with our Waste Recovery Board, particularly against circular economy, food waste, et cetera. There’s a number of ways into this question and I’m trying to convey to you that I again am agreeing with you.
Ms O’CONNOR – Yes, and?
Ms OGILVIE – But there is complexity to it and how can I help?
Ms O’CONNOR – Yes, there’s complexity to all big policy areas –
Ms OGILVIE – Correct, multifaceted.
Ms O’CONNOR – That’s right and if – just as an observation – here in Tasmania, if any place in the world is going to be able to adapt, hopefully it’s us. Part of the reason that we may be able to successfully adapt over this century is because of the connectedness of our communities, the fact that we have that sense of place and look after each other, but we also have in the food security space some really interesting social infrastructure, that if it was all threaded together, including Neighbourhood Houses, child and family centres, for example. second bite. –
Ms OGILVIE – Agreed.
Ms O’CONNOR – I guess I’m saying this to you as just something to think about, because shocks are coming. They are going to be big shocks that are coming to our communities, and food insecurity, identified by our scientists as a real threat, is something that we should be able to plan for. We here produce more than we consume. And so, how do you make sure that we look after Tasmanians first?
Ms OGILVIE – Well, I always welcome the voice of science at the table in any portfolio and project that I’m involved with as climate change minister specifically and particularly, and again as environment minister.
I agree we could be doing a more sophisticated job of putting those threads together. I have already reached out to some particularly good academics to ask them if they might do a piece of work on this. And from your perspective, I see the climate change imperative is really important. I have a very sort of humanist thing as well, being a mumma –
Ms O’CONNOR – They’re not mutually exclusive. They’re totally connected.
Ms OGILVIE – No, but the same outcome is to make sure everybody is fed and looked after. We’re talking about food security-
Ms O’CONNOR – That’s why I’m talking about food insecurity, out of concern for people.
Ms OGILVIE – Which is what I’m talking about. Repeated agreement.
Ms O’CONNOR – Yes, but- something different in what we were looking at-
Ms OGILVIE – No. What I’m saying is it’s just many ways- there’s many lenses that we could take on this challenge. My personal perspective is there is some work to be done which we can do around the connectedness piece.
I’m always amazed, as I travel around – I’ve lived and worked all over the world – with how the Tasmanian culture is very specific and beautiful and people do look after each other, and we’re people who are very pragmatic. And that goes to dropping the food off to people in pandemic, which I’m sure you did and I did, making sure people have got food, looking after our neighbours – all that stuff that used to happen beautifully, perhaps, in the 80s elsewhere, still happens here. That is to be protected and is a beautiful thing about Tasmania and our communities.
I see it in the arts sector; I see it in the environment sector. As I mentioned the other day, I’ve been from a very old Tassie family, and we’ve seen the ups and downs of all of this. But, Tasmania is such a beautiful island of people who are willing to help, who are able to help. We have farmers offering food, we have the university getting the students together and working with multicultural communities.
Everybody understands that service imperative, and that comes in a state where we’re not awash with cash and people, and we have to be innovative and creative, care for our neighbours, and that’s probably a little bit of my DNA, but ultimately, we’re in agreement that this is a really important area and we could do more.
Ms O’CONNOR – Yes, and… I mean, all of those qualities that define us as island people, but they do require leadership, potentially legislative and regulatory change, and funding. And I guess I’m imploring you as the minister for communities and climate particularly, off the back of your food resilience strategy, to step back and have a look at the bigger picture through the lens of climate risk.
Ms OGILVIE – It’s specifically in relation to food resilience? Or, other-
Ms O’CONNOR – Yes.
Ms OGILVIE – I’m very happy to do that.
