Published by Adam Giles, Hancock Agriculture and S. Kidman & Co CEO
Courtesy of Cairns Post
09.06.2026
National security and product availability rest on several pillars, with food security among the most critical. For this year’s Bush Summit and Future series, North Queensland stands out as a region holding one of the keys to Australia’s future.
More than just a gateway to the Reef and a central hub for mining, Cairns serves the nation as one of our regional food bowls, bursting with potential to feed more Australians and export more premium produce to our northern allies while creating jobs and strengthening product availability.
The region’s agribusiness sector already punches above its weight, producing world-class bananas, mangoes, avocados, beef, sugar cane and more, including seafood.
Proximity to the Tropics offers natural advantages but there is scope to increase valuable food and livestock exports and distribution through air, road, and maritime routes.
Yet this opportunity remains choked by neglected infrastructure, and ever-increasing costs brought on by the heavy hand of far away governments.
Current policies – underscored by rampant inefficiency, needless regulation, the highest taxes ever, record reckless government spending, and out-of-control debt – are holding Cairns and Tropical North Queensland back.
Australia is one of the most heavily regulated developed nations, with well over 5000 new laws and regulations since the 2022 federal election.
This bureaucratic bloat imposes around $160bn in annual compliance, regulatory and delay costs on businesses.
Family stations and farms and local businesses, including tourism operators, drown under paperwork, duplication, council charges and taxes that eat away at already-thin margins and deplete funds from hiring and innovation. Too many who try to innovate in agriculture and the businesses agriculture supports are strangled by sky-high energy costs and government tape.
None of these essential investments can proceed without adding to already high taxes and public debt, unless Canberra and the state can eliminate wasteful spending.
Australia now has more than 2.6 million public sector employees, equating to one in five Australian workers.
Yes, we want more frontline public services but the bloated and costly back-of-house bureaucracy is unsustainable, while productivity has declined to negative rates, international cost competitiveness declines and businesses close at record rates. Cutting government wastage is the essential first step to unleashing the potential of regions like Cairns and its surrounding businesses.
The 2026 Bush Summit and Future series should champion practical leadership focused on growth, security, lower taxes, and slashing tape.
It should stand up against ideological policies that are destroying farmers and seeing too many leave the land.
By instead encouraging investment, Cairns and our tropical North can deliver more quality food and drive living standards positively.
Bush Summit: Have Your Say is supported by S.Kidman & Co.
