Budget 2025: Brett Hosking, David Jochinke call for regional road funds

Farmers say agriculture cash is likely to be splashed on the campaign trail, rather than in the budget. This is what leaders are calling for.

Federal funds to aid with tough trade conditions and rough road surfaces are being advocated by Australia’s top farmers ahead of the federal budget.

With federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers handing down his final financial blueprint on Tuesday, ahead of the 2025 election being called, agricultural lobby leaders were expecting federal Labor to keep cash in reserve for the campaign trail.

Mr Chalmers said Tuesday’s budget would have cost-of-living issues “front and centre”, while building resilience against “global shocks that are becoming a regular feature in the world economy”.

Labor will be keeping a close eye on any new tariffs enacted by US president Donald Trump, who has set a deadline of April 2 for them to begin.

“We’re not uniquely impacted by policy coming out of Washington DC, but we’ve got a lot of skin in the game because we’re a trade-exposed economy... our best defence against this global uncertainty is a more competitive, dynamic and resilient economy,” Mr Chalmers said.

“You’ll see that will be a major feature of tonight’s budget.”

Few pre-budget regional announcements have been made, but include a commitment to a Buy Australian campaign in the wake of the US trade war, boosting Australian manufacturing, $7.2bn for Queensland’s Bruce Highway, a $2.4bn support package for the Whyalla steelworks in South Australia, and new university hubs in Swan Hill and Gippsland.

National Farmers’ Federation president David Jochinke said there had been many in-depth discussions with many areas of government, but it was difficult to foresee what would arrive in the budget.

“I reckon there’s a strong possibility there will be investment in trade, roads to a degree will get funded … and mental health has had really good engagement,” he said.

“I think we’ll get a little bit in the budget, and a little bit (at) election time.”

Mr Jochinke said agriculture was preparing for any tariffs that come its way from the United States, and expected to see confusion in the meantime, before “we find out exactly where we land”.

“I hope we take a very calm approach, we want our trading partners to be calm and want diplomacy to solve many of our differences,” he said.

The National Farmers’ Federation listed 20 targeted investments they hoped to see in its 2025-25 pre-budget submission back in November, which included $1bn to fix roads and improve regional infrastructure; $2bn for nature repair methodologies; $175m for a farm worker accommodation stimulus package; and $150m for climate related research and development.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers. Picture: Martin Ollman

Victorian Farmers Federation president Brett Hosking also hoped to see a focus on strengthening agriculture’s trade position in the budget given the current geopolitical situation, as well as support for farmers connected to the renewables push.

“Making sure there’s a focus on what we have to do to make sure the renewables rollout is managed as opposed to the free for all that it appears to be at the moment I think is a really critical (priority),” he said.

Mr Hosking also hopes to see investment in Victorian freight networks, and said road conditions need to be improved “in a hurry”.

“What we know is that if I’m driving my car and I leave suburban Melbourne, then I am twice as likely to die in my car. That’s what the road toll is telling us.”

“(We want to see) a significant amount of money into focusing on that first and last mile piece, getting from our farms to those major freight corridors and making sure those freight corridors are vehicle worthy.”

“Significant things like bridges, roundabouts; those pinch points that are well beyond the means of a local government budget (to improve) … (we hope) the federal government is there to support those councils in improving those things in particular.”