Government will continue consultation on its biosecurity funding reform

Farmers thought they had seen the end of the government’s biosecurity funding legislation but Agriculture Minister Murray Watt says consultation is ongoing.

Farmers could still be forced to contribute to federal biosecurity protection programs despite Labor’s controversial protection levy bill failing to pass through parliament.

The agriculture sector campaigned heavily against the proposed biosecurity funding reform that would have resulted in food producers contributing $50m a year to national programs, while increased fees for importers contributed to the bulk of a $1bn funding increase.

Sustained lobbying led to Senate crossbenchers joining the Coalition in opposing the Agriculture (Biosecurity Protection) Levies and Charges Collection Bill, which was due to come into effect from July 1.

Asked about the future of the bill, which has not been withdrawn from the Senate, Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said the government would continue to consult with farmers to find a solution.

“I recognise that at this point in time we haven’t been able to get the numbers in the Senate to get that through,” Senator Watt told the Global Food Forum in Brisbane. “So we’re consulting with the sector.

“I don’t think it was unreasonable to ask farmers to make a very small contribution towards something that really is the foundation of their livelihood. But we’ll keep having those discussions.”

Farmers argued that the policy would have forced them to pay for biosecurity measures to protect them from a risk created by their competitors bringing products into Australia.

Senator Watt said biosecurity had been among his biggest challenges as agriculture minister, particularly because of the threat posed by foot and mouth disease, varroa mite and avian influenza.

“There was a big gap and a growing gap in the funding that we needed for our biosecurity operations across Australia,” Senator Watt said.

“I was more than happy to turn up to the ERC (Expenditure Review Committee) and ask for more money and they gave it to me, but I also thought it was important to make sure that everyone who’s got a stake in biosecurity makes a contribution.”

Senator Watt said biosecurity was a shared responsibility and that the figure being asked of farmers was a small fraction of their sales.

“I thought it was fair to ask farmers as major beneficiaries of our biosecurity operations to make a very small contribution towards that effort,” he said.

“I don’t think that’s going to break the bank for a farmer to contribute, but what would break the bank is a massive biosecurity outbreak.”

The biosecurity levy has been a key point of friction between farmers and the Albanese government over the past year, along with the 2028 shutdown of live sheep exports.

Asked about the concerns of the cattle export industry, which fears it will be the next sector shut down to appease activists, Senator Watt said the government supported live cattle exports.

“I and the Prime Minister have repeatedly ruled out closing down the live cattle export trade and in fact, we’ve taken enormous steps over this course of government to support that industry,” Senator Watt said.

“We see it as fundamentally different to the live sheep export trade.

“I recognise that it’s a really contentious issue and I recognise that it has caused some concerns in other parts of the ag sector. All I can do is keep assuring people that not only do we not intend to close down the live cattle export trade, we actually support it and we support its future growth.”

Australian Agricultural Company chief executive David Harris said the industry would take Senator Watt “at his word”.

“We need to keep working with the government on high standards of all the enterprises within Australian agriculture,” Mr Harris said.