Student loan discounts and incentives for people to study in the regions have been supported by the Nationals as the party maps its policy path ahead of the federal election.

A 30 per cent discount on university and vocational education fees for students aged above 25 and those who live in regional and remote Australia was supported by the party’s federal council on Saturday.

So to was a broader 20 per cent discount for other students as well as 20 per cent off lump sum payments.

Despite unanimous support, the motion is non-binding on the parliamentary team, with leader David Littleproud suggesting tertiary education access and affordability would be worked on “in totality” rather than HECS being singled out.

A regional university campus “rejuvenation fund” to incentivise students to study outside major cities was also supported.

Mr Littleproud used his opening address to party faithful to laud the opposition leading the debate in areas such as the voice referendum, nuclear energy and vaping reform.

“Never before have you seen a party dictate the policy direction of the public debates in this country over the last two and a half years than what you have seen from the National Party federal team,” he said.

The meeting focused heavily on cost of living measures and agriculture policy, including mortgage relief, encouraging airline competition to bring down flight prices, boosting rural health support and introducing nuclear energy into the mix.

The majority of the Nationals parliamentary team supported stripping the term “gender identity” from the Sex Discrimination Act, with speakers rallying against the impacts of transgender people playing in women’s sport.

Speaking to reporters outside the conference, Mr Littleproud said while it was a person’s right to identify as they liked, you “can’t get away from biology” in areas such as sport.

But the focus needed to remain on Australian’s who couldn’t afford to eat, he said.

“These other issues are important to some but at the moment when there’s an Australian that can’t have dinner tonight, I think I’ll be focusing more on that,” he said.

Members called upon the Nationals in government to exempt foreign backpackers from superannuation, which they can then claim when leaving the country, in a bid to ease costs for employers.

MP Keith Pitt supported money going into backpackers pockets during their time in regional communities to boost the local economy rather than claimed on their way out.

But entitlements shouldn’t be stripped entirely allowing visa holders to be paid less than Australian workers, he argued.

The regional party is spearheading the fight against Labor phasing out the live sheep export trade, with the coalition pledging to overturn the legislated ban if they take office.

The next federal election is due by May 2025.

This post was originally published on Michael West.