Hancock Prospecting and our S. Kidman & Co are again backing the National Bush Summit for the fourth consecutive year.
The Prime Minister, One Nation leader, Opposition Leader, and State and Territory leaders from across the country will attend the Summit which is taking place in Dubbo on 26 and 27 August. The Summit gathers together the mining and agricultural industries, fundamental to the bush, decision-makers, business leaders, and policymakers in national conversations about the future of regional and rural Australia.
Those in agriculture are struggling, and that can be seen too in the country towns they support, with shop windows and doors closing, adding to record business closures. Discussion to focus on realities and foster the groundwork for agriculture to survive is essential.
As part of the Bush Summit, Hancock is also supporting News Corp’s Future series including Future Cairns (Wed 10 June), Future Townsville (Thu 18 June) and Future NT (Thu 16 July).
Tickets for the Future series are available below. Tickets for the Bush Summit will open closer to the event.
- https://events.humanitix.com/future-townsville-2026
- https://events.humanitix.com/future-cairns-2026
- https://events.humanitix.com/future-northern-territory-2026-9uexkswu
Hancock Prospecting and S Kidman & Co Executive Chairman, Gina Rinehart AO said: “The Bush needs to be heard, and we need to listen. Our fantastic pastoralists and farmers and regional Australians are truly struggling . Rising taxes and government charges , immensely unhelpful government tape, and bad energy policies, are not the answer.
It’s time we stopped the falsehoods that the problems are caused offshore, or because we look after cows, or because we use machinery and vehicles on our farms and stations to make them more productive. And instead dealt with the realities of what our governments are doing to our primary industries. Rising government caused costs, and toxic solar panels , and toxic, asbestos ridden , bird and bat maiming, bird and bat killing wind towers, and mammoth extra electric infrastructure, destroying prime farm land , are making it harder and harder for farmers and pastoralist to provide for their families. And for our agricultural industry to survive. The people in the bush keep food on our tables, and help to keep our country running, yet too many in far away governments make life harder and more difficult to survive.
Australia cannot tax or regulate itself into prosperity, this is fundamental. Taxes that were meant to go more than 20 years ago when the GST came in: payroll, license fees and stamp tax, need to be eliminated. Plus an end to the excise tax on fuel, which adds costs to everything. Cutting costs is far far more helpful than vote buying handouts, that too often don’t reach the intended beneficiaries, but involve paying more government employees , and in turn mean higher charges and taxes to cover, and or, increases in our record debt.
Hancock is proud of the contribution our industry made to Australia, ever since our nation began. We always faced cyclones, floods, fires, droughts, but we had little intrusive and expensive governments and our agriculture industry grew. We were so successful without big government that we became known as the “squatocracy. “
Our agriculture companies and I are proud to stand up for the engine room of our nation. Please let the bush summit know what’s wrong, in bush no nonsense style, !”
Hancock Agriculture and S. Kidman & Co CEO, Hon Adam Giles said: “The National Bush Summit matters because it gives the bush a national platform at a time when regional Australia urgently needs to be heard.
“From running cattle stations across some of the most remote parts of Australia, we see every day how policy decisions made in capital cities far away land on the ground.
“Our farmers, pastoralists, miners and regional businesses are not asking for handouts. They are asking governments to get out of the way, cut the taxes, cut their regulation, and deliver energy policies that make sense.
“Every extra cost put on the bush flows through the whole country. It makes food dearer, fabric dearer, and raises your cost of living . Restricting mining and gas production in the bush, makes your electricity dearer, transport dearer, housing dearer and business harder.
“If we want young Australians to make their lives in the regions, we need to make it easier to run businesses there, justify investing there, be able to employ people and be able to see a future in the bush.”
ENDS
