The Morrison Liberal National Government has unveiled a $110 million initiative to secure freight flights so that fishers and farmers can get their produce into overseas markets.

Our ministers for Trade, Transport, Agriculture and Fisheries announced the initiative, which aims to get our high quality produce onto planes and over to our key overseas markets such as China, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates.

This is excellent news for our seafood industry and in particular our live trade of products like coral trout and mud crab, because these fishers who work out of our region, particularly in the Whitsundays and Bowen, were the first to suffer the flow-on effects of COVID-19.

Their overseas markets dried up literally overnight. Overseas customers for our fantastic seafood, beef and other agricultural products stopped going out to eat at restaurants or were not even able to get out to shop.

There has also been a waiver of Australian Fisheries Management Authority levies for Commonwealth fishers so that provides further relief.

Unlocking these key international markets again will get fishers, deckhands and processors back on the job.

The initiative will be overseen by an International Freight Coordinator, Mr Michael Byrne, and there will be four departure hubs – Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.

Mr Byrne will work with Austrade to help establish arrangements with exporters, airlines, freight forwarders and industry bodies plus oversee the mechanism’s operations including advising the Government of destinations, freight selection and prioritisation. 

Farmers and fishers who want to apply to send their premium goods to initial overseas markets can lodge an online enquiry at https://haveyoursay.agriculture.gov.au/ or phone (02) 6272 2444.

A fact sheet is also available from my office via email on George.Christensen.MP@aph.gov.au or phone 4944 0662.