Address to the CropLife National Members Forum, Canberra

The Boat House, Barton, ACT
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Good morning everyone.

Thanks Warren for that introduction, and thanks to Matt for the invitation to say a few words again this year.

I acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we’re gathered, the Ngunnawal people, and I pay my respects to First Nations people here today.

I’d also like to acknowledge:

• Outgoing NFF President David Jochinke – can I extend my congratulations to DJ on his tenure as President over the past 2 years, but more importantly for his contributions to the NFF and our ag industry for much longer. He’s a trusted voice that government, industry, and farmers will all listen to in the future.
• Shadow Assistant Minister for Agriculture Jamie Chaffey and all other dignitaries who join us here today.

Economic reform and improving productivity are key priorities for this term of government, and that focus extends to our agricultural sector.

While broadacre agriculture has delivered long-term productivity gains in our country, progress has slowed over the last two decades.

But it is important to recognise that productivity growth varies significantly across industries, regions and farm sizes. 
Cropping productivity in total, for example, has performed relatively well.

I visited Perth a fortnight ago and had to the opportunity to visit the impressive Centre for Crop Disease and Management at Curtin University.

The Grains Research and Development Corporation’s co-investment in this important partnership with Curtin University is all about improving productivity for our grain growers and has been delivering for this industry since it was established in 2014.

Investments like these in research and development can improve outcomes in our regions, improve sustainable environmental management, and more broadly, enhance the contribution this sector makes to our economy. 

It is vital that sound RD&E continues to play its part in the productivity growth and resilience of our primary industries across the country.

Meanwhile, productivity performance for industries like pork, poultry, feedlots, horticulture, aquaculture, and forestry are largely unknown due to gaps in data collection.

To address this, in August Minister Collins and I hosted a roundtable focused on unlocking productivity in Australian agriculture.

Our discussions resulted in establishing four key priorities, being reducing duplication across regulators, creating more streamlined regulatory and compliance processes, strategic investment in emerging sectors and regional infrastructure, and support to develop farm business management skills.

The government is considering feedback from the roundtable and how it can best be translated into new policy.

This roundtable was followed by the high-level Economic Reform Roundtable led by the Treasurer and the Prime Minister.

But we know that this task isn’t just about listening, it’s about investing.

The Prime Minister announced earlier this year an additional $1 billion into the Regional Investment Corporation to help farmers doing it tough.

We’re continuing to open new trade opportunities – under our Government, we’ve recorded 231 market access achievements, and I know how hard Minister Collins and Minister Farrell has been working in this space to expand opportunities for our growers and producers abroad.

Australia’s food system is a national asset – underpinned by strong food safety and biosecurity measures.

These are essential not only for nourishing our own population, but also for meeting the growing needs of our trading partners.
While Australia has a world class food system, we cannot afford to be complacent.

We cannot afford to ignore the new and emerging challenges our farmers now face.

That is why this Albanese Government has committed $3.5 million over two years to develop a new National Food Security Strategy.

The strategy aims to provide a long-term, whole-of-system plan to boost the productivity, resilience and security of our national food system.

Consultation on the strategy has commenced, with the release of a discussion paper inviting feedback on the strategy’s scope and priority areas. 

We received close to 400 submissions and analysis of these is underway. 

Responses from the discussion paper will inform the direction and next steps of the strategy development, including co-design with stakeholders.

A National Food Council will be established to advise on the strategy, and is to be made up of industry and community experts across the food system.

Those here today are well positioned to support the strategy development, and I encourage all to contribute your industry knowledge and data to help inform this important work.

The Albanese Government is also committed to ensuring that our agvet chemicals system continues to be fit-for-purpose.

Australian farmers and the broader agricultural community deserve an independent regulator that is equipped with the tools needed to boost farm productivity, as well as safety and biosecurity.

This means ensuring the APVMA is well governed and appropriately resourced.

Areas identified for improvement need to be addressed appropriately in close consultation with industry. 

The reform agenda for agvet chemicals regulatory system encompasses a broad and significant range of matters.

This includes delivering on the Government’s Detailed Response to the final report into the APVMA released in November last year.

The government is moving through this reform agenda in a systematic and staged manner. 

With that in mind, I greatly appreciate you proactively engaging with me and the department on this issue.

Our first focus for reform is on establishing a sustainable funding model for the APVMA. 

I see that as a key step that will build a foundation for us to advance work with the regulated community on broader reforms. 

We’re working closely with the APVMA to improve the APVMA’s cost recovery model – and consideration of the whole-of-government Cost Recovery Policy will be part of that. 

This is an opportunity for us to look at how the current system is working, and whether the current cost recovery approach is delivering good policy outcomes, as well as sufficiently resourcing the APVMA.

Beyond sustainable funding, we will consult in coming months on issues including:

• improving stakeholder uptake of low regulatory burden pathways for accessing products
• ensuring appropriate risk-based regulation for emerging products
• ensuring consistency in the application of limits on use of information
• enhancing the transparency of chemical reviews
• ensuring all registered products have been assessed consistent with contemporary expectations.

The appointment of a new Board Chair and CEO, Scott Hansen, in July last year installed the leadership necessary to develop the APVMA as a world-leading chemical regulator. 

We look forward to working alongside industry as well as Scott and his team at the APVMA to find practical and efficient approaches that work for Australia, are fit for purpose and support improving productivity for the agriculture sector. 

It’s essential we get this right, and I want to reassure everyone here today you will be a part of this journey as we establish a better-functioning regulatory framework.

Thank you to everyone for your attendance, you’re all in the best position to contribute meaningfully to each of these pieces of work.

Your industry knowledge and data will be a significant factor in helping to inform the way forward. 

Thank you.