Federal Budget: Trade, food security boost but mixed on water, biosecurity

Federal Budget: Trade, food security boost but mixed on water, biosecurity

Budget funds the Murray-Darling Basin Plan but some programs are phased out. Photo David Barwell

The federal budget includes new measures to boost trade and food security in response to global uncertainties, but some water and biosecurity programs are ultimately phased out.

New agricultural initiatives, worth about $45m, focus on trade issues, with $23.8m over three years to sponsor agricultural trade events and forums, including a doubling of funding to $12m for Beef Australia.

There is also $11m in 2025-26 to tackle feral animals, pests and weeds, $6.8m for other agricultural export access and $3.5m to develop a promised National Food Security Strategy.

“The strategy will aim to deliver improved agricultural productivity and supply chain resilience, which in turn will provide insights into food price volatility, improve food security and provide cost-of-living relief for Australian households,” ministers said in a regional budget statement.

The budget says the government will in 2025-26 provide $716.2m to support water ser­vices and infrastructure in the states.

However, they show some water programs being increased but ultimately axed or cut over the budget years, including in the Murray-Darling Basin.

Funding for “implementing water reform in the Murray-Darling Basin” is cut from $12.9m in 2024-25 to $12.3m in 2025-26, $10.2m the following year, $6.1m in 2027-28 and zero in 2028-29.

The Sustainable Rural Water Use and Infrastructure Program is cut from $413.4m in 2024-25 to $383.9m in 2025-26, $321.7m in 2026-27, and zero in subsequent years.

Cash for improving compliance in the Murray-Darling Basin is increased slightly to $9m in 2025-26, cut to $4.3m in 2026-27 and then discontinued.

Funding for programs to remove constraints to the delivery of water to the environment is ­almost doubled to $23m in 2025-26 and increased further to $72m in 2026-27 before ending in 2027-28.

An $8m Off-farm Efficiency Program is axed, while the Resilient Rivers Water Infrastructure Program provides $151.5m in 2025-26, $140m in 2026-27, $55m in 2027-28, then ending.

A program to address the socio-economic impacts of water buybacks is increased, with total funding of $183.9m in the three years to 2027-28.

More than $16m will be spent to phase out live sheep exports, a move bitterly opposed by many sheep farmers.

National Farmers’ Federation President David Jochinke said the budget “falls well short of the investment needed to unlock agriculture’s full potential”.

The NFF was disappointed the Murray-Darling Basin buybacks were “again shrouded in secrecy”. “Yet again, the government hasn’t disclosed what buybacks are costing taxpayers,” he said.

Sheep destined for the live export market. Pictures: Supplied

The government said it was spending $100m for biosecurity from 2024–25.However, budget papers show some biosecurity programs will be cut. Funding for “pest and disease preparedness and response programs” is cut from $224.3m in 24-25 to $148.7m in 25-26 and continues to fall to $34.6m in 28-29.The Bolstering Australia’s Biosecurity System program is cut from $2.2m in 24-25 to $1.4m in 25-26, and not funded thereafter.The Strengthen Australia’s Frontline Biosecurity Capability program, funded with $6m in 2024-25, is no longer funded.Also cut is the Boosting HPAI (bird flu) biosecurity response capability program, from $9m to $3m in 25-26, before ending.