Government matches Coalition’s $2.5m pledge for Farmsafe Australia

The Albanese Government has matched the Coalition’s election commitment to on-farm safety, pledging $2.5m over three years to Farmsafe Australia should it win the election.

Labor has matched the Coalition’s election commitment to on-farm safety, pledging $2.5m over three years to Farmsafe Australia should it be re-elected.

Farmsafe Australia executive officer Stevi Howdle said the organisation was grateful for the bipartisan support, and the funding would allow it to focus on “what matters most in preventing injury and deaths”.

“It’s a really, really good start, obviously the more (funding) we can get the more programs and initiatives we can get on the ground, so we are always seeking more industry and corporate support but we are really grateful,” she said.

Data from AgriFutures Australia revealed 133 serious injuries and 72 deaths occurred on-farm in 2024, while one in every five worker deaths in New South Wales was recorded in the ag sector, according to SafeWork NSW.

“The statistics aren’t just bad, they’re getting worse. We can’t just ignore this. We need to improve standards right across the country and this investment in Farmsafe Australia is a great start,” Assistant Minister for Agriculture Anthony Chisholm said.

The reliance on short-term funding for on-farm safety was in the spotlight last year following a tragic start to 2024 on Australian farms.

A previous $1.9m federal government grant had come to an end, and the Farmsafe body was being funded by a six-month extension from the Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment.

Ms Howdle said although three years is not long enough, they were grateful to have at least three years of security.

“We are so grateful to have three more years to do this and build values and change behaviours and hopefully the more work we do on the ground, the more we can build champions and ambassadors to continue our work,” she said.

“The reality is farm safety is all about behaviour and that is a long term change that we need to continue to drive and make people aware and continue to look at how innovation helps with issues on farms.”