Scrap the biosecurity bill
NSW Farmers
has fronted a Senate Inquiry to call for the proposed biosecurity tax on
farmers to be scrapped, with farmers already paying their fair share of
biosecurity dues.
NSW Farmers
President Xavier Martin said despite a last-minute redesign, farm leaders
remained opposed to the biosecurity levy bill and would continue to urge
parliamentarians to vote against the levy’s introduction over the coming weeks.
“Farmers
are already paying significant amounts of money in levies to fund biosecurity
efforts in Australia, so asking them to pay millions more is utterly unfair when
importers – as the real creators of biosecurity risk – are left free to operate
without the burden of this bill,” Mr Martin said.
“Our farm
leaders have spoken, and our message is clear: this levy is totally flawed and
unfair, and we need to review and renew our biosecurity funding models so we
can ensure passengers and products entering Australia are being adequately
charged for the costs of the risks they create.
“The
creation of a container levy is a key way that risk creators can contribute to
the biosecurity cause and ensure fair biosecurity funding moving forward.”
With an additional
$51.8 million to be collected from farmers under the proposed levy bill, Mr
Martin said farmers would be extremely disappointed to see the bill pass Parliament.
“There is
no clear or logical plan to collect this levy, let alone a clear and logical
outline of what biosecurity measures this massive tax will actually fund, and
yet we have just eight weeks until it is meant to be introduced,” Mr Martin
said.
“Farmers have
many questions about this proposed levy, and tokenistic attempts to consult us
at the eleventh hour just aren’t going to cut it when the stakes are this high.
“We’re all
for keeping exotic pests and disease out of our country, but why double tax
farmers when we are already stricken with huge pressures on production and when
we are already significantly contributing to funding for Australia’s
biosecurity system?”
Date: Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Media Contact: Eliza Fessey | 0427 411 220 | [email protected]