For Australia, the threat of pests and disease is increasing, leading to a greater demand for biosecurity services. According to the National Farmers' Federation (NFF), Australian farmers already pay their fair share. They are of the opinion that importers of products like cars and whitegoods, as well as taxpayers, who should pick up any additional tab for Australia's biosecurity.
Agriculture Minister Murray Watt has repeatedly said he wants a new funding model for biosecurity that "shares the cost between taxpayers, risk creators, and beneficiaries of the system".
Risk creators are understood to be importers, while beneficiaries are expected to be the farmers and exporters that have access to premium markets based on Australia's reputation for being relatively disease-free.
Source: abc.net.au