Goulburn MP backs low-carbon incentives as federal climate change spending drops

Labelled the 'Primary Industries Productivity and Abatement Program', the scheme is primarily intended to assist farmers to develop and take up sustainable practices.

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Risks such as drought and extreme weather events posed by man-made global warming have been again brought into focus with Scott Morrison's first full term as Prime Minister bookended by disastrous bushfires and floods.

However the Commonwealth Government's short-term emissions reduction targets have been almost left for dead by their state counterparts with NSW aiming to halve its emissions by 2030, compared to the federal target of just 26-28 per cent.

Wednesday's announcement from NSW Treasurer and Energy Minister Matt Kean stood in contrast to criticisms of the budget regarding its climate spending.

The Climate Council labelled parts of Treasurer Josh Frydenberg's budget 'inadequate' and while welcoming of a $1 billion commitment to protect the Great Barrier Reef, said it needed to do more to address the cause of climate change rather than just mitigation.

"Their own documents are showing that climate spending - as a percentage of total budget spending - is just 0.3 per cent for this year and the next two years," economist and Climate Council councillor Nicki Hutley told AAP.

"Then it falls to 0.2 per cent which is just totally inadequate and unconscionable.

"If this is an election budget it has failed on this key issue of dealing with climate change, which we know increasing parts of the electorate are concerned with, including in regional seats around NSW and Queensland."

Goulburn MP Wendy Tuckerman said agriculture in regional areas such as the Southern Tablelands and Highlands was too valuable to be abandoned in the face of climate uncertainty.

"Primary producers are pumping more than $13 billion into the NSW economy each year and this is about assisting farmers to be sustainable and driving farms of the future," Mrs Tuckerman said.

"This is about driving sustainable land management, boosting productivity and helping reduce emissions."

The Primary Industries Productivity and Abatement Program will be split into three categories:

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