THE Member for Burrinjuck Katrina Hodgkinson has been appointed the new minister for primary industries under the NSW Coalition Government. Ms Hodgkinson’s portfolio includes fisheries, forestry, lands, state water and food sustainability.
Hodgkinson’s appointment may come as a surprise to NSW voters who had believed Duncan Gay was in line for the primary industries portfolio under an O’Farrell government.
Mr Gay has been appointed the NSW roads and ports minister.
Before the Match 26 election, Ms Hodgkinson had been the opposition’s spokesperson for Natural Resource Management.
She has said her biggest challenge would be reviving the state’s agriculture sector following years of funding cuts.
Ms Hodgkinson says there are a lot of issues which she needs to be briefed on first.
“I grew up on a merino stud outside of Yass, so agriculture’s been a substantial part of my life and I do recognise a lot of challenges that we’re going to have within that portfolio,” she said.
