Federal Budget: At a glance

By Gabrielle Stannus, Communications Coordinator 

The Albanese government released its first Budget to the public on Tuesday 25 October 2022; a budget that some in the industry have described as “transitional” in the lead up to its May 2023 counterpart. That may be the case, however this week’s budget announcements provide important measures dealing with training and the workforce, climate change and the environment, and biosecurity.  

Biosecurity

The Government is investing $134.1 million to bolster Australia's biosecurity system and support the objectives and implementation of Australia’s first National Biosecurity Strategy first announced by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Murray Watt in August. Much of this funding though remains focussed on livestock with $61.6 million to be fast tracked to manage foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and lumpy skin disease (LSD) over the next two years.

Whilst the press is focussing on the impact this strategy might have on threats to farmed animals, the Minister has been careful to include threats to plant crops when discussing the scope of this new initiative which is obviously of interest to growers.

As a signatory to the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed and the coordinator of the greenlife industry response to pest and disease incursions, Greenlife Industry Australia (GIA) will be interested to know how the Minister's plans will intersect with the existing biosecurity defence framework. Additional funding into this area will certainly be welcome.

Climate change & environment

The Government is dedicated to managing carbon emissions consistently with the net zero by 2050 goal and has committed to investing $1.8 billion to protect, restore and manage our precious natural environment. The Budget provides $302 million over five years from 2023-24 for sustainable agriculture investment under the next phase of the Natural Heritage Trust.

The Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek, has also announced the creation of a new Biodiversity Certification Scheme, designed to encourage landowners to invest in the restoration and management of their land, with the goal of increasing native habitats. Perhaps this might present new opportunities for growers of native species? GIA will be keeping a close eye on the scheme as it unfolds.

Disaster preparedness

This Budget will provide up to $200 million per year on disaster prevention and resilience initiatives through the Disaster Ready Fund, as well as additional funding for flood affected communities and extra staff. The Fund will support projects such as flood levees, sea walls, cyclone shelters, evacuation centres and fire breaks.

The Government is also spending $22.6 million over 4 years to help reduce the cost of insurance in disaster prone communities.

Energy efficiency

The Government’s Powering Australia Plan will drive investment in cleaner, cheaper energy, including $20 billion of low-cost finance under Rewiring the Nation to upgrade this country’s electricity infrastructure.

The Government is also responding to rising energy costs by committing $62.6 million to support small and medium-sized businesses in improving their energy efficiency and reducing energy use. These grants will empower small and medium-sized businesses to invest in cost-saving, energy efficient upgrades to help them reduce their power bills.

Forestry

In good news for environmental horticulture, the Government has committed $86.2 million over 5 years from 2022-23 for grants to establish new forestry plantations.

Internet connectivity

The Government has committed $2.4 billion in NBN Co to extend fibre access to 1.5 million more premises and $1.2 billion for the Better Connectivity for Regional and Rural Australia Plan. This funding will support mobile coverage through new investments in regional and remote Australia, especially in under-serviced areas. It also aims to help farmers improve farm safety, productivity, and efficiency from new communication technologies.

Training & Workforce

The Government is entering a $1 billion National Skills Agreement with all states and territories to provide 480,000 fee-free TAFE and community-based vocational education places throughout 2023. Interested students will be able to explore suitable training opportunities through their state or territory education and training departments as they become available.

To help modernise TAFEs and training facilities, the Government will establish a $50 million TAFE Technology Fund. The fund will help deliver on significant items such as IT infrastructure, modern workshops, laboratories, and telehealth simulators. 

The permanent Migration Program will be expanded to 195,000 in 2022–23, an increase of 35,000. More than 90 per cent of new places will be for skilled migrants, and more than a quarter targeted to regional areas.

One of the commitments from the Government’s recent Jobs & Skills Summit was the creation of an Agriculture Workforce Working Group designed to explore solutions to the ongoing labour shortages, not only in farming but also in horticulture. This group will be exploring international visa arrangements permitting seasonal on farm workers; however, their remit will also extend to the domestic labour market and the challenges of attracting and retaining workers to our sector. The National Farmers' Federation's Horticulture Council, of which GIA is a member, is represented on the Working Group which ensures we will be kept abreast of all developments.

For more information on the Federal Budget, visit www.budget.gov.au.