March 2016

The appointment of the Hon Dean Nalder as Minister for Agriculture and Food, in addition to his duties as Minister for Transport, will be followed with interest by WAFarmers. WAFarmers President Tony York said the loss of dedicated Ministers for Agriculture and Transport was disappointing. “Agriculture has become a key focus of the state’s political agenda in recent years, and the appointment of one singular Minister for two portfolios, while potentially complex, offers an opportunity

Following the Federal Government’s decision to review the proposed backpacker tax, WAFarmers attended a round-table workshop with Federal Ministers and Senators this week to discuss the latest developments and the impact on the agricultural sector. Executive Officer Grady Powell represented WAFarmers in Sydney to consider alternatives to the Federal Government’s current proposal which would see backpackers taxed 32.5 per cent and removal of the tax-free threshold. The round-table workshop, which was hosted by Tourism Minister

The latest developments in the proposed sale of Fremantle Port have been applauded by WAFarmers, following the WA Nationals’ refusal to back the plan. With enabling legislation brought to Cabinet for the sale earlier this week, the issue has continued to gain increasing opposition, particularly surrounding the disclosure of access and pricing arrangements. WAFarmers President Tony York said the advocacy group was frustrated that there had been lack of transparency in the proposal. “One cannot

WAFarmers congratulates AgConnectWA committee member Wes Lefroy, who was announced as a runner up for the 2016 Zanda McDonald Award overnight at the Platinum Primary Producers (PPP) Conference in Wellington, New Zealand. Mr Lefroy, who works throughout the Wheatbelt as a Technical Manager with Precision SoilTech in addition to his AgConnectWA responsibilities, was joint-runner up with agricultural and environmental consultant Erica van Reenen, to winner Dean Rabbidge, a dairy and sheep farmer from New Zealand.

The staff freeze currently gripping the Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia (DAFWA) has been condemned by WAFarmers President Tony York. Speaking from Canberra, Mr York said WAFarmers fully supported Agricultural Minister Ken Baston in his efforts to have a public sector-wide job freeze lifted to allow the department to fill critically important biosecurity positions. “Western Australia is a national leader in biosecurity, with our state being considered relatively disease-free,” Mr York said.  “Should

The WAFarmers Dairy Council is encouraged by reports of continued production growth in the Western Australian dairy industry, and commends companies for paying a sustainable price. This practice, the Dairy Council explains, instils confidence into the farming sector, encourages capital investment and inspires new people to enter the industry. According to Dairy Australia, the trend in production growth was in response to two of the state’s major processors paying a sustainable price and one of

WAFarmers is disappointed with the State Government’s proposed fracking and gas legislation currently before Parliament, stating it would be unlikely to garner support from farmers and freehold land owners. A Parliamentary Committee report on Implications for Western Australia of Hydraulic Fracturing for Unconventional Gas contained two recommendations in relation to the establishment of an independent arbiter for land owners and an agreement template for all parties, neither of which were included in the proposed legislation.

WAFarmers welcomes the announcement from the Federal Government in relation to amendments to the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Regulation. Effective from 31 March, the decision will ensure that the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) will assess the sale of critical state-owned infrastructure assets to private foreign investors. WAFarmers Chief Executive Officer Stephen Brown said the changes would further strengthen the existing framework. “By building on current rules which see the FIRB’s assessment of infrastructure required

A review of the backpacker tax has been applauded by WAFarmers, after the Federal Government admitted that the proposal could damage the Australian agriculture and tourism industries. The decision comes off the back of extensive petitioning against the proposal by WAFarmers, the National Farmers Federation and state farming organisations, in addition to backlash from other industry representatives and both current and prospective backpackers. Tourism Minister Senator Richard Colbeck said that “legitimate concerns” had been raised

WAFarmers approves the Federal Government’s decision to introduce an ‘effects test’ which will see farmers and primary producers have greater power along the supply chain. The effects test, based on a recommendation from the Harper Competition Policy Review, will replace the existing ‘purpose test’ thus shifting the emphasis from a business’ purpose in undertaking conduct to the effects that conduct will have on competition. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull made the announcement at a joint-party meeting