Speaking during Question Time on Thursday - two days after officially being sworn in to Parliament - Mr Farley asked Defence Minister Richard Marles whether the Department of Defence had contributed to key policy processes, including the review of the Water Act 2007, the 2026 Murray-Darling Basin Plan review, and the development of a national food security strategy.
He also questioned whether water security is considered a “core defence capability”.
“Secure and reliable water resources are fundamental to Australia’s food security and our national defence capability,” Mr Farley said, linking regional water concerns in his electorate to broader national resilience.
In his response, Mr Marles praised the question as an important contribution, highlighting the growing recognition that defence policy must extend beyond traditional military considerations.
He pointed to the 2023 Defence Strategic Review, which emphasises the need to better align Australia’s civil economy with its national security priorities.
He said it marked a shift in thinking not seen since World War II, when domestic production, supply chains and resource management were closely integrated into defence planning.
“What we must do … is look at the connection between our civil economy and our national security and look at ways in which those elements which go to our national resilience contribute to our national security,” Mr Marles said.
“The point that the honourable member is making is a good one in the sense that, in any given scenario or contingency - water security, food security - how our civil economy works in the context of that contingency is completely fundamental to whether or not we are able to make our way through that contingency.”
While he did not directly confirm Defence’s involvement in the specific policy reviews raised, Mr Marles said the government is increasingly adopting a “whole-of-government” approach to defence. This includes collaboration with agencies responsible for water resources and agriculture.
