AUSVEG has welcomed the government’s decision to discharge the Biosecurity Protection Levy legislation from the Senate.
According to the industry body, the biosecurity tax would have seen Australian vegetable growers, and farmers around the country, hit with additional and disproportionate costs to support Australia’s biosecurity system, at a time when many are already struggling under extreme cost pressures and compliance burden.
In a statement, AUSVEG says it strongly supports an effective and robust biosecurity system that benefits all Australians and protects the supply of locally produced food and fibre. Additional biosecurity funding and resourcing has been identified as one of AUSVEG’s key federal election priorities.
“However, enhancing our biosecurity system must take into account the significant biosecurity investments growers are already making, both privately within their businesses and via levies they already pay, while also ensuring all who benefit from the system are contributing equitably – particularly those sectors which generate the most biosecurity risk,” says the organisation.
AUSVEG CEO Michael Coote says the discharging of the Biosecurity Protection Levy legislation will come as a relief for vegetable growers and is a victory for the industry’s advocacy efforts.
“We welcome the government, Agriculture Minister Julie Collins and Senate hearing the concerns raised by the vegetable and wider agricultural industry, and discharging the biosecurity tax,” he says.
“At a time when Australian vegetable growing businesses are experiencing extreme margin squeeze that is threatening the viability of many, the last thing growers needed was the imposition of another cost that they would have had little capacity to pass on.
“A strong biosecurity system is critical to the long-term viability of Australia’s vegetable industry, and AUSVEG looks forward to ongoing engagement with the government, and all with a stake in Australia’s food future, to ensure that system is fair and fit-for-purpose.”