Biosecurity levy: Senate committee’s report ‘tone deaf’

The Senate committee charged with scrutinising the biosecurity protection levy has made a recommendation that has shocked the agricultural sector.

The Albanese Government’s controversial $50 million biosecurity protection levy should be endorsed by the Senate, a committee scrutinising the legislation says.

Despite growing opposition to the levy from agricultural lobby groups to “stop the tax”, including a ‘day of action’ last Wednesday in protest, the Labor-heavy rural and regional affairs and transport legislation committee’s report has recommended the Senate pass the bills when it comes time to vote on Tuesday, paving the way for the levy to come into effect on July 1.

This was the only recommendation made by the committee, despite 17 pages of its report dedicated to discussing the BPL bills’ “key issues”.

“While acknowledging stakeholder concerns about the design and effectiveness of the proposal, the committee understands that the BPL will not replace or duplicate the efforts of producers but will help support biosecurity activity to manage the risks of pests and diseases entering Australia. While primary producers are currently a beneficiary, they don’t contribute directly to biosecurity efforts to manage the risks,” the committee report said.

Grain Producers Australia chair Barry Large said the report’s mention that primary producers don’t directly contribute to biosecurity funding was “deeply concerning”.

“This sort of misleading commentary was especially infuriating when producers know they’re already contributing hundreds of millions of dollars in multiple levies – including emergency responses such as Varroa – and make other direct costs to manage biosecurity on our own farms,” Mr Large said.

“The simple truth is obvious – the lack of buy-in from producers due to the nondisclosure of the levy in the initial design process is the reason why this policy is deeply flawed and so strongly opposed,” he said.

National Farmers’ Federation chief executive Tony Mahar said the committee’s recommendation contradicted its own report.

“The final report seemingly supports the concerns of stakeholders – from industry bodies, to the Productivity Commission and the Australian National University – while offering no countering view or justification for the policy,” he said.

“What’s been tabled is a meticulous autopsy of this tax’s flaws. To conclude that it should be endorsed just defies all logic.”

The NFF repeated its call to the government to scrap the levy and revisit a container levy scheme or an equivalent measure on inbound containers.

NSW Farmers has urged senators to ignore the committee’s report and vote against the proposed BPL when it enters the Senate on Tuesday.

NSW Farmers biosecurity committee chair Ian McColl said the Coalition’s dissenting report, also tabled on Friday, more accurately reflected the concerns of the industry.

“I think this is tone deaf. The overall finding is extremely disappointing and does not take into account the money we’re already paying for biosecurity,” Mr McColl said.