Population decreases in rural areas has been going on for decades, with neither irrigated or dryland farming immune.  

Similarly, the amalgamation of small into larger holdings has been occurring across rural Australia for more than a hundred years.  

The transition from family to corporate-based farming and the adoption of new technologies and management models have all reduced the labour content required in agricultural production.  This loss of job intensity is occurring across every industry, whether urban or rural based. The greatest drivers of change in irrigated areas has been the introduction of water reforms – water being transferring to the industries of highest returns, the corporates or individuals most able to efficiently use the resource.

To simply blame the Basin Plan for job losses in rural irrigation areas is to overlook the complexity of irrigated agriculture and the realities of the world we live in.  

To do so will inevitably lead to ill-informed reactions that undermine the integrity of the Basin Plan and the investment of Australian taxpayers.  

Yes, there are always industries and communities feeling the impacts of change.  

Yet the economic outputs from the Basin’s irrigated agriculture continue to grow.  On-farm water efficiency continues to improve.  Agricultural processing industries are expanding.  

The real value of the review is to give direction to industry and the community as we all adjust to the changes that occur – and will continue to occur – to life in rural Australia.

I agree with our courageous Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull that the most effective weapon against the terrorists is an inclusive nation.

Terrorists must learn that the “divide and conquer” technique does not work in our cohesive Australian society. 

It is unfortunate that the so called Muslim terrorists are carrying out atrocities throughout the world.

ISIS is successful in attracting recruits from all over the world due to illicit use of magic word “Islam”.  

Young people having little or no understanding of Islam are their easy prey. The only way to defeat ISIS is prove them un-Islamic. 

I can challenge that the true Islam advocates nothing else, but absolute justice, peace and harmony.

Every true Muslim have a religious obligation to obey authorities, follow the law of the land, and care for the sentiment and rights of others.

We must remember Prophet Muhammad said that a Muslim is one from whose tongue and hands, others are safe.

NSW Farmers is acknowledging the significant contribution women are making to the agricultural sector in New South Wales ahead of International Day of Rural Women today. It’s a timely reminder to recognise the contribution rural women. There are also countless women providing administrative support integral to the success of family farming businesses; and women generating off-farm incomes to help support their families. In New South Wales, 27 per cent of those employed in the agricultural sector are women and 13 per cent are employed full time. There’s no denying that these are statistics that could be greatly improved and I don’t doubt they will be.