A new era in Australian agriculture begins tonight, with the announcement that the Albanese Government’s 2023-24 Budget includes a Sustainable Biosecurity Funding model, for the very first time in our nation’s history.
In total the Budget delivers $1.5 billion in new spending, to help ensure agriculture is protected from short and long term threats like exotic pests, disease and climate change, as well as helping to grow the industry through access to more workers and overseas trade markets.
Importantly, the Budget delivers on the Albanese Government’s election commitment to strengthen the national biosecurity system, through the development of long-term sustainable funding.
For the first time, an Australian Government is locking in higher, ongoing and more predictable biosecurity funding, from year to year – drawing a line under years of stop gap, temporary funding from Coalition Governments, that placed our agriculture sector at risk.
This will result in more than $1 billion of additional funding for biosecurity, including $845 million to support biosecurity operations across the country, protecting our valuable agricultural industries.
To address risks from travellers and parcels, funding from an increase to the Passenger Movement Charge will contribute to the cost of biosecurity, and we will expand cost recovery to include the biosecurity clearance of parcels and non-letter mail.
Importers will contribute more fairly through their clearance costs with increased fees and charges expected to take their total contribution to biosecurity costs to almost $350 million next year.
The Albanese Government will also explore options to introduce a broader biosecurity import levy that is consistent with international trade law obligations.
We will also introduce a modest new biosecurity protection levy on agriculture, fisheries and forestry producers – creating a new system that will be more predictable, equitable, transparent and accountable than ever before.
We are locking in higher and more certain biosecurity funding, along with a fair system to pay for it that shares the cost equitably between taxpayers, importers, parcel senders, international travellers and producers.
Key agriculture, forestry and fisheries measures in the Budget include:
- $145.2 million upgrade to digital biosecurity services through a Simplified Targeting and Enhanced Processing System. This is a program of work to bring our cargo management systems into the modern digital age, reducing costs and delays for industry and government. This will free up biosecurity workers for other jobs and reduce congestion at the border.
- $40.6 million to continue the Indigenous Ranger Biosecurity Program in Northern Australia – a key part of frontline biosecurity monitoring, detection and response in our north.
- $302.1 million over five years to support climate-smart agriculture through the Natural Heritage Trust – helping farmers transition to a low emissions future and strengthen agricultural sustainability.
- $38.3 million for ABARES to improve the collection, analysis and sharing of data on the impact of climate change and low emission technology on agriculture, to assist policy making and farmers’ decision making.
- $127 million to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry – a one-off payment in 2022-23 to ensure the viability of the Department, addressing a decade of chronic mismanagement, underfunding and budgetary incompetence by the former Coalition Government.
- $5 million to develop a renewed Australian Animal Welfare Strategy – to deliver on the Government’s election commitment to update and enhance a national approach to animal welfare.
Funding continues for the roll out of key forestry initiatives including grants to improve innovation, a national institute of forest products innovation and plantation establishment grants.
The Government is also committed to continuing the rollout of country of origin seafood labelling throughout the next 12 months.
This Budget will lift the Government’s partnership with agriculture and other related industries, to build a thriving economy well into the future.
This Budget backs our booming $90 billion agriculture sector, through investments that will safeguard its premium status.
Source : MirageNews