Coalition promises $2.5m to combat on-farm deaths

The commitment comes after deaths on farms doubled last year.

Farm safety will be prioritised under a Coalition government, with $2.5m promised to curb farm deaths over the next three years.

The number of deaths on farms doubled last year, leading authorities to label the issue an emergency.

On Wednesday, Nationals leader David Littleproud will announce the Coalition will provide $2.5m to Farmsafe Australia if elected next month. Farmsafe is a not-for-profit organisation set-up in the 1980s to reduce on-farm fatalities and injuries.

“Agriculture consistently ranks as one of the most dangerous industries to work in,” Mr

Littleproud said.

“Some of those injuries and deaths have been in my electorate and they’re people I’ve known. It’s the human toll, the family and friends left behind because of something that could have been avoided.

“This a grassroots organisation. There’s no point bureaucrats in Canberra designing farm safety programs that have never set foot on a farm. This money will get the best cut through,” he said.

Last year there were 72 on-farm deaths and 133 serious injuries, a more than doubling of incidents in 2023.

Vehicles were the leading cause of death nationally, with 14 deaths related to side-by-sides, 10 to quad bikes, and eight to tractors.

FarmSafe Australia chair Felicity Richards says farmers are under significant pressure at the moment and safety can take a back seat.

Farmsafe Australia chair Felicity Richards said the funding was critical to bringing down the number of fatalities, which were mostly linked to vehicle use.

“We need this investment to help us continue to do these national campaigns that speak to farmers. Yes, there are regulatory safety obligations, but we’re the bridge between the regulator and the practical things you can do to keep safe,” Ms Richards said.

The Tasmanian beef farmer said it was difficult to pin down why on-farm deaths spiked last year, but predicted increased stress could be a factor.

“Farmers are under a huge amount of pressure at the moment, with droughts, floods, bush fires, interest rates and market pressures. There’s an awful lot going on and I think these pressures stack up and it’s easy not to make safety a priority,” she said. “It’s only when we build safe habits that they can withstand those external forces.”

The funding would be used to develop and distribute educational material on safety practices, co-ordinating community engagement between industry, government and farming families and a national media campaign.