Triple A update – AUSVEG Advocacy Activities
After an intense seven-week period, election day finally arrived, and it was a surprising result to almost all around the country.
There’s no doubt the win for Scott ‘ScoMo’ Morrison, Michael McCormack and the Coalition team is a positive one for agriculture, and indeed a strong result for horticulture.
AUSVEG sends it congratulations to the Coalition and all the elected members.
While the firm results still won’t be known for some time, a majority government is hoped and will provide some much-needed stability in Australian politics.
AUSVEG has been busy working over the past couple of months, pushing its Federal Election priorities to all the major parties.
Following the close of any election, it is important to look back and see what has been promised and committed to and AUSVEG and its state members will continue to ensure government is held to account.
AUSVEG Election Priorities | Coalition |
Supporting our Growers | |
Implement an Ag Visa | Commitment to ‘revisit’ the Agriculture Visa |
Implement a Labour Hire Licencing scheme | National Labour Hire Registration Scheme will be implemented nationally. |
Protecting our product | |
Develop crisis management plans | No commitment |
Develop clear cross-jurisdictional protocols and comms | No commitment |
Respecting our borders | |
Ensure promotion, delivery and acceptance of the National Biosecurity Statement | Underway under the IGAB recommendations |
Prioritise implementation of IGAB Report | IGAB Recommendations underway |
Outperforming our competitors | |
Higher prioritisation of horticulture in trade negotiations | $11.4m to accelerate horticulture market access |
Implement a industry/gov committee to oversee regulatory cost increases | in part – Biosecurity Levy Steering Committee in place |
Understanding our industry | |
Support education programs around paddock to plate and healthy eating campaigns | $30m package to strengthen rural Australia including $10m to bring our kids and our farms together |
Support food waste minimisation campaigns | $50m to reducing food waste |
Transforming our business | |
Maintain funding support for ACCC Agriculture Unit | Additional $8.1m on top of budgeted funding for ACCC Agriculture Unit |
Support mandatory price reporting in major fruit and vegetable markets | No commitment |
Other Coalition Agricultural Policies of note
- Invest $3.9b in the Future Drought Fund
- $5m farm assets test for Farm Household Allowance Permanent
- Create a new restocking and replanting concessional loan through the Regional Investment Corporation
- Establish a $7m Drought Communities Business Support program
- Provide $1m each to an additional 14 local council areas experiencing severe drought through the Drought Communities Program
- $20m for Royal and Regional Agricultural shows
- Increase opportunities to sell food overseas through a new 2030 protected horticulture strategy
- Protect the right to farm with new laws targeting trespassers
- $6.1m to extend the Package Assisting Small Exporters program