Federal budget disappointment for farmers and environmental groups
Australia’s federal budget has triggered criticism from farm and environment groups after nearly A$200 million in agriculture portfolio funding was cut, including money tied to pest, weed and disease preparedness.
Australia’s new federal budget has drawn a sharp backlash from farming and conservation groups after nearly A$200 million was cut over five years from the agriculture, fisheries and forestry portfolio. ABC reported that the money is being redirected to other priorities inside the portfolio, while about one-third of the reallocated funding will go toward securing agricultural export and trade opportunities.
The most contentious element is the removal of more than A$104 million from grant programmes, including Pest and Disease Preparedness and Response Programs. Critics say that comes at the wrong time because the agriculture department itself estimates pest animals and weeds cost Australian farmers at least A$5.3 billion a year. In some states and territories, those losses are equivalent to as much as 17% of the local value of agricultural production.
Independent senator David Pocock described the budget as short-sighted and tragic for nature, noting that the Saving Native Species fund received only A$110.8 million over two years and that few protection programmes were extended for more than a year or two. Jack Gough of the Invasive Species Council warned that threats such as fire ants will keep spreading if programmes are not funded over the long term, because invasive-species control cannot be matched to short political budget cycles.
The National Farmers’ Federation also criticised what it called savage cuts in areas where producers believe more investment is needed, not less. Chief executive Michael Guerin said pests, weeds and biosecurity remain major challenges for agriculture and argued that border failures can create costs that last for generations. From the farm sector’s perspective, holding some budgets flat while cutting others is a sign that prevention and preparedness are not being treated as core infrastructure.
The budget does include targeted spending in other biosecurity areas. About A$56 million will go to border and fisheries authorities to monitor northern Australian waters for illegal foreign fishing vessels and associated biosecurity threats. The Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness east of Melbourne will also receive A$38 million on an ongoing basis from 2030-31. That facility recently tested samples from Heard Island that confirmed H5 bird flu in elephant seals and gentoo penguins. Even with those allocations, the broader message received by the farm sector is that risks are growing faster than the protective programmes meant to manage them.