March 2015

The Department of Finance has introduced the Reinvigorating Regulatory Reform program which is administered through the Economic Reform business unit. Central to the program is the reduction of red tape which, in turn, reduces unnecessary delays and avoidable costs, duplication of regulatory or compliance requirements across different Government agencies and excessive compliance burden, especially for low risk applications and approvals. The Government has asked members of the public to submit their feedback and recommendations, identifying

Recent reports in the media have stated that the Federal Government is reportedly considering drastic changes to the way the safety of red meat exports are accredited by government-employed meat inspectors. Under cost saving measures the government is considering replacing 215 government employed export meat inspectors with privately paid inspectors. Some meat processors, including JBS, have expressed concerns that this shift could jeopardise the 8 billion dollar beef trade and the 1.6 billion dollar lamb

Norwest Energy, in conjunction with partners AWE and Bharat Petroleum, are planning to clear up to 185 hectares of high quality native vegetation (‘Kwongan Heathland’) in and around the Beekeeper’s Nature Reserve. They want to do 3D seismic testing to work out where to locate a horizontal fracking well to join one that is already in existence, turning the area around the nature resereve into a commercial gas fracking field. The State Government and Federal

The Federal Government’s soon-to-be released White Paper will recommend that farmers be encouraged to take up multi-peril crop insurance using financial incentives, according to an article published in The West Australian. WAFarmers senior vice president Tony York said the news is promising as the federally supported drought funding has often been inappropriate and difficult to apply in WA, rarely benefitting the State’s growers. “It is a logical incentive to encourage farmers to take up the

The Department of Agriculture and Food has advised WAFarmers that nominations are now open for the Grains, Seeds and Hay Industry Funding Scheme management committee and the Sheep and Goats Industry Funding Scheme management committee. The committees oversee biosecurity Industry Funding Schemes, using authorised funding arrangements for producers to raise funds to tackle priority pests and diseases. On advice from the industry, the committees determine what pests and disease threats require action and how best

The WA Training Awards recognise and reward outstanding achievements of apprentices, trainees and vocational students, and the contribution to training made by trainers, training organisations and employers. For the conditions of entry, click here. All applications must be submitted via the WA Training Awards application portal,. To access it, click here. The individual awards include WA Apprentice of the Year, WA Trainee of the Year and WA Trainer of the Year. More than $80 000

WAFarmers has been working with the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) to ensure the Fuel Tax Credits Scheme continues to benefit its members and the wider agricultural sector. Following calls for the Federal Government to make cuts to the scheme that provides a rebate on fuel used for off road purposes, affected industries including agriculture have taken a proactive approach to ensure the rationale behind the tax credit is fully understood by decision makers. WAFarmers is pleased

WorkSafe WA, a division of the Department of Commerce, has released an occupational health and safety plan for agriculture in partnership with industry stakeholders, including WAFarmers. Recognising that serious injury and fatality rates in agricultural workplaces are amongst the highest in WA, WorkSafe has released the ‘Agricultural Action Plan 2014 – 2016’ to  encourage employers and workers to ensure workplaces are safe. The publication highlights the OSH risks in agriculture, everyday conditions faced by farmers