AUSTRALIAN Dairy Farmers (ADF) has welcomed the focus on protecting agriculture and a return to surplus in the 2023 Federal Budget.
ADF president Rick Gladigau said the budget addressed many of the key priorities for dairy farmers’ national policy and advocacy organisation, however ADF believed there were some areas of concern for dairy farmers.
Mr Gladigau said the extra funding for biosecurity announced in the budget delivered in part on ADF’s submissions to the Senate’s recent biosecurity inquiry. However, he said it was unclear how the biosecurity protection levy would be calculated and how the revenue raised would be collected and allocated.
“We appreciate that biosecurity is a shared responsibility, and all risk creators and beneficiaries need to pay their fair share. Based on this premise it is difficult to understand why farmers and importers of low-value cargo are the only people bearing new costs and levies,” Mr Gladigau said. “Surely, the importers of high-value cargo must also bear some of these costs.
“It is appropriate that the Government funds biosecurity because the economy benefits from strong biosecurity. However, biosecurity funding is fairer when everyone who creates a risk also contributes funding.
“We do know that the biosecurity funding builds on the good work Australia has already done protecting the agricultural sector from the threats of foot-and-mouth disease and lumpy skin disease overseas.”
Mr Gladigau said initiatives to improve access to foreign workers and address the workforce shortage were welcomed, together with improvements to how the Department of Home Affairs processed visas.
“Other long-overdue initiatives that have been addressed include a review of the Australian Carbon Credit Unit scheme, the development of a climate adaptation plan and a commitment to fund the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) to improve data collection.”
However, ADF notes there are some shortcomings in other areas for dairy farming.
“There is uncertainty around how renewed funding for the Commonwealth Government’s animal welfare strategy will be used, and the Government continues to withdraw investment from water supply projects,” Mr Gladigau said. “These two issues will broadly restrict confidence in the dairy industry.
“Meanwhile, the rise in the heavy vehicle tax will certainly be an impost on dairy farmers as freight costs will increase for milk, hay, grain and everyday needs, and these are likely to be passed on to farmers.”
ADF looks forward to engaging with the Government on developing the detail surrounding these budget commitments.
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Media contact:  Mark Paterson, Currie, mark@curriecommunications.com.au +61 (0) 409 411 110.
About Australian Dairy Farmers
Australian Dairy Farmers (ADF) is the recognised national policy and advocacy organisation working to improve profitability and sustainability of dairy farming in Australia. Representing Australia’s six dairying states, Australian Dairy Farmers state membership comprises representatives from Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. These state bodies are known as State Dairy Farmer Organisations (SDFOs). ADF provides the SDFOs with support and representation on a national level.