The future of hemp in NSW is currently up for discussion with the NSW government’s draft NSW Hemp Industry Development Plan now open for public comment.
‘I encourage the now many Northern Rivers hemp farmers to get involved with feedback for this plan for the future of the NSW hemp industry,’ President of the Legalise Cannabis Australia Party (formerly HEMP) and Nimbin HEMP Embassy, Michael Balderstone, told The Echo.
‘Australia has basically been left decades behind other countries who never stopped growing and harvesting hemp. We could easily have done the same if we didn’t get so paranoid and sucked into America’s war on weed. We now need major investment and support to catch up.’
Mainstream hemp crops
With the global hemp market projected to grow, the proposed plan identifies where government, industry, and stakeholders can concentrate efforts to capitalise on opportunities for the local hemp industry.
‘The draft plan proposes an industry vision to establish hemp as a mainstream crop and sustainable source of products in NSW,’ state the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
‘Supporting the vision, four development objectives provide strategic direction for actions to capitalise on the key opportunities and guide government, industry and stakeholders to work together in growing the NSW hemp industry.
‘The aim is to bring hemp industry stakeholders together to contribute to and deliver on the vision and development objectives of the draft plan.’
Future industry
While growing cannabis has historically been a significant cash crop across the Northern Rivers Mr Balderstone points out the significant opportunities for the hemp industry in a region that has proven that is has the right climatic conditions for this industry.
‘In particular, I think we should be exploring hemp housing which has huge potential for our country as it has terrific fire-resistant qualities,’ Mr Balderstone said.
‘Currently, most hemp houses built in Australia are made from imported hemp, the same as most of our medical cannabis is imported.
‘Our climate is perfect for growing all types of cannabis which loves the sun and needs a lot less water than other crops like cotton. I don’t know of one mill in the country that processes hemp into cloth for example. The potential for high protein hemp seed production is another industry still in a fledgeling state.’
Make a comment
The draft NSW Hemp Industry Development Plan is informed by the work of the NSW Hemp Industry Taskforce, which was established by the NSW government to explore barriers and opportunities to grow the NSW industrial hemp industry.
The draft NSW Hemp Industry Development Plan is open for feedback via the Have your say website and will close on Monday, May 19, 2025.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
