Cattle Australia has welcomed the Federal Government’s move to boost transparency for farmers with the establishment of a new Sustainable Biosecurity Funding Advisory Panel.
CA Chief Executive Officer, Dr Chris Parker, said while the terms of reference for the panel will be the ultimate test, having a seat at the table on the Advisory Panel is integral to holding the Albanese Government to account on its Sustainable Biosecurity Funding model and ensuring it delivers for grass-fed producers while improving Australia’s biosecurity.
“Cattle Australia has been critical of the introduction of the Biosecurity Protection Levy (BPL) since its announcement in last year’s Federal Budget, citing the lack of industry consultation, the serious inequalities of the new tax, and inadequate oversight and safeguards,” Dr Parker said.
“We are pleased the Government has listened and for the first time, grass-fed cattle producers will have the ability, through CA, to directly set and monitor the progress of biosecurity priorities and assess the financial performance of the Department’s biosecurity system.
“At a time when the complexity of biosecurity challenges continues to increase, this is a genuine opportunity to influence and advise Government on a better biosecurity system that addresses these threats, particularly those to our north.”
Dr Parker said CA’s advocacy efforts regarding the creation of a real-time consultation mechanism has resulted in significant improvement in influence for grass-fed cattle producers in the biosecurity system.
“This is only the first step though, and CA will continue to press hard for improved oversight of the BPL funds and expenditure, as well as all other biosecurity expenditure in general,” Dr Parker said.
“CA has long supported increased resourcing of biosecurity and will continue to advocate for a detailed analysis of who the beneficiaries and risk creators are, resulting in increased collections from biosecurity risk creation activities such as shipping container imports.
“We see this as key to achieving the Government’s goal of implementing a fair, equitable and transparent model for biosecurity funding in Australia.”
Dr Parker said Australian grass-fed cattle producers were acutely aware of the critical importance of upholding Australia’s world-leading biosecurity record, which was why they already invested significantly in implementing best practice biosecurity measures within their operations.
“We have consistently called for increased funding and protections to make the system better and fairer for producers with increased accountability and shared responsibility, and we look forward to partnering with the Government to ensure we progress from the original proposal that was grossly unfair and fundamentally flawed,” he said.
“The imposition of this levy must deliver enhanced funding and resourcing of measures that will result in a stronger biosecurity system for the Australian agriculture industry in the next decade and beyond.”