Australian farmers have formed a nationwide united front against an ‘unfair’ biosecurity levy set to be introduced in July. Industry leaders across Australia’s $84.9 billion agriculture sector are condemning the tax. The overwhelming opposition was laid bare in an avalanche of submissions to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry published this month.
Farm organisations from every State and Territory condemned the new levy, along with a slew of national lobby groups representing the grains, livestock, horticulture, forestry and fisheries industries. Common complaints included a complete lack of consultation, lack of transparency over how the funds would be spent, and claims producers were being unfairly slugged.
The levy was announced in May as part of the government’s revamped biosecurity funding model, designed to raise $153m annually to protect the agriculture sector from pests and diseases. Producers will contribute 6 per cent of funding according to the government, while importers will contribute 48 per cent and taxpayers about 44 per cent. The levy itself will raise about $47m annually, with producers across the board set to shell out an extra 10 per cent on top of what they already pay in agricultural levies.
Source: countryman.com.au