The Victorian Government has committed to cutting red tape by adopting recommendations from last year’s hemp industry inquiry, undertaken by Legislative Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee. Legalise Cannabis Victoria MP Rachel Payne has lobbied the Government to support the hemp industry by adopting all recommendations.
“Hemp is a wonder crop that can be used in building materials, textiles and foods” Ms Payne said. She has long lobbied government for stand-alone industrial legislation and introduced the Hemp Industry Bill 2024 for a second reading (in May) telling parliament the opportunities were ‘endless’ for the industry. “Hemp could have a role to play in revitalising national manufacturing, providing countless local jobs and building more environmentally friendly housing”.
“Hemp products will (now) be defined as ‘rural industry’ — another win for farmers, because it gives them the option of processing hemp on their properties”, Ms Payne said. “This means they can make anything from hemp soap to hemp fabric”. Ms Payne said she would now lobby the government further to fund a hemp co-operative in Victoria to support growers and manufacturers and suggested the void left by the ending of native timber logging could be replaced with a hemp industry.
Legalise Cannabis Victoria MP David Ettershank said hemp was a ‘super crop’ and he looked forward to its production flourishing in Victoria. A further development had been the Federal Government announcing it would investigate the value of hemp as a carbon sequester as part of the Australian Carbon Credit Unit Scheme. “Hopefully this will result in an accreditation framework for industrial hemp crops – a win for farmers. A farmer would then be able to support carbon sequestration and be rewarded financially with carbon credits”.
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25 September, 2024