The Deputy Prime Minister and Member for New England Barnaby Joyce has expressed his “great disappointment” for the 30 employees from the Goodman Fielder bakery whose jobs were lost with the announcement of the plant closure.

“I will be doing everything in my power to make sure we assist these people in finding new work,” Mr Joyce said.

“It’s so important that in everything that I do on everybody’s behalf is about finding jobs, trying to make sure we grow the economy. Trying to make sure new opportunities exist.

Mr Joyce said his job as the Member for New England was to ensure new jobs were being driven into the Electorate.

“I know that these people today will be desperately upset and worried,” Mr Joyce said.

“Nothing I can do today can erase the anxiety and confusion in their minds about the future of their families. But Tamworth is growing, jobs are coming here and I can assure them that I understand their pain and I will fight for them.

“Whether it’s in the horticulture industry with tomatoes and berries, the beef industry with processing facilities to the poultry industry, to tourism and services, my job is to make sure that whatever I can do to assist, I intend to do just that,” he said.

“My office has been in touch with Goodman Fielder to get information about the timelines and redundancies. If we find a way to get directly involved in helping the situation we will.