The Funding Scheme’s aim to put a mechanism in place to charge growers on their production to fund biosecurity activities under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007.

WAFarmers President, Mike Norton, noted that while WAFarmers had been involved in some the discussions around the Funding Schemes, many of our concerns have been sidelined to meet the Minister for Agriculture and Food, the Hon. Terry Redman, and his Department’s self imposed deadline.

WAFarmers key concerns with the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Industry Funding Scheme (Grains) Regulations 2010 include: 1.That there is no opportunity for growers to nominate or elect their representative to the Industry Management Committee or Review Committee. Among other tasks, these Committee’s decide on the level of levy charged, and the pest and diseases targeted under the Scheme.

2.There is no mechanism for matched or even partial investment from Government to acknowledge the respective benefit of biosecurity activities to the broader community, with the Scheme allocating all response costs to growers. 3.An unresponsive deadline for the implementation of these regulations.

“WAFarmers appreciates the importance of essential biosecurity activities to protect the State from existing and emerging threats, however the proposed regulations not necessarily improve the biosecurity response, and rather they simply provide a mechanism to raise funds for biosecurity activities.”

“WAFarmers strongly believes that growers need to have a much greater level of input into the raising and expenditure of these funds.”

WAFarmers understands that the Minister and his Department are planning to implement components of the Scheme in March prior to the conclusion of the consultative period.

“The Scheme’s implementation prior to the request for feedback leaves very little room for the Scheme to be amended to address the concerns and issues raised by the State’s farmers.”

WAFarmers will assist in gathering this feedback through each of its Zone Meetings that it will be holding across the State over the coming weeks.

“All members and non-members alike are encouraged to attend these meetings to hear further details about the proposed scheme and the concerns WAFarmers has with the current proposal, and provide feedback accordingly,” concluded Mr Norton.