THE WA Labor Party has pledged "a strong commitment" to growing the State's agriculture and aquaculture industries.
In the lead-up to the State election on Saturday, the party late last week released its 15-page agriculture and aquaculture industries policy with WA Labor leader Mark McGowan saying agriculture had grown into a $10 billion industry and was one of the State's biggest employees.
"Agriculture has supported the WA economy for generations and aquaculture is the world's fastest growing food production sector," he said.
"WA Labor is strongly against the privatisation of Western Power and Fremantle Port, two major policies that will benefit the industry.
"Keeping Western Power in public hands will guarantee supply and maintenance in regional WA."
The policy has a strong focus on the South West with the horticulture and aquaculture industries set to receive more focus as the party proposed to work with the horticulture industry to establish food production precincts in outer metropolitan Perth and in regional WA and to develop a "food hub" at Kemerton.
The party would establish a State aquaculture working group involving government and industry, continue its support of the Albany shellfish hatchery at Frenchman's Bay and allocate $1 million to a state-of-the-art fish health laboratory at the Waterman Department of Fisheries research facility, north of Perth.
"Aquaculture is the world's largest growing food production sector and WA has great opportunities in aquaculture provided there is sustained and coordinated government support," Mr McGowan said.
In addition, the party will allocate $10m from Royalties for Regions to help with a staged development to lift capacity at the Bunbury Port.
While the Liberal Party and The Nationals WA promise funding to replace the Boyanup saleyards, Labor WA is offering to work with Capel shire to find a suitable location and "fast track" a proposal for a livestock precinct in the South West.
In February, the Liberal Party announced if re-elected it would allocate $2m to acquire land to build a new livestock handling facility to replace the ageing Boyanup saleyards, while the National Party is offering $15m to build a new facility plus additional funding to purchase land.
According to the policy statement, in 2008 the WA Labor Government committed to progress a saleyards assistance package to develop regional saleyards at Katanning, Mt Barker and the South West following the sale of the Midland saleyards.
But the $2.2m set aside to kick start a replacement for the Boyanup cattle facilities was "expended elsewhere" after the Liberal National Coalition decided it should be funded by private investment.
Labor says a livestock precinct in the South West will replace the Boyanup facility.
If elected the party will commission a review of the roles and responsibilities at the Department of Agriculture and Food (DAFWA) to investigate how its structure can best adapt to benefit the sector.
The department had suffered "unprecedented funding and staff cuts and a lack of direction and purpose" under the government, according to the policy statement.
"A WA Labor government will commission a thorough review of the roles and responsibilities of DAFWA, investigate whether its governance structure suits contemporary agriculture and how DAFWA can adapt as is required by the sector," the statement read.
Mr McGowan said as premier he would want to see the industry continue to grow.
"We want to help provide the boost our local economy desperately needs," he said.
"Our fresh approach will create jobs across a range of different industries and will future-proof our economy so that Western Australians have the jobs they need."
