Agricultural Exports
$328 million allocated for the following:
- $222.2 million over 4 years for digital services to take farmers to market – a single touch point for exporters that is available 24/7.
- $14.3 million over 3 years - improving regulation post COVID-19 including targeted intervention for the seafood and live export sector, dedicated case managers to help new exporters and existing exporters to expand and diversify their markets.
- $10.9 million over 3 years - building a more competitive export meat industry and working with industry to streamline export and production costs to remain competitive.
- $10 million over 4 years - busting congestion for plant export industries. Streamlining border clearances for plant exports by reducing manual processes and improving service times and cost savings for exporters.
- $71.1 million over 3 years for Australian export services critical to ensuring our products make it to export markets.
Agricultural Levies
$7.2 million to streamline and modernise agricultural levies legislation. This will save time and money for the almost 8,000 businesses that collect levies, as well as for thousands of farmers. See attached flyer
Agricultural Workforce
- $17.4 million in relocation assistance and $16.3 million to incentivise young Australians to take up farm work by temporarily changing Youth Allowance (student) and ABSTUDY independence eligibility criteria. The relocation grants for individuals will include $6,000 if you relocate to a regional area, an extra $3,000 if you relocate with a dependent, $2,000 if you are a visa holder with the right to work in Australia
Floods & Drought
$155.6 million over four years to support drought and flood-impacted communities, including:
- $50.0 million in 2020‑21 to extend the On‑farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme,
- $19.6 million in 2021‑22 to extend the drought function of the National Drought and North Queensland Flood Response and Recovery Agency for a further year to continue coordination and community engagement for the Government's response and recovery activities; and
- $86.0 million over four years from 2020‑21, through the Future Drought Fund, to establish eight Drought Resilience and Adoption Hubs that support networks of researchers, farmers, agricultural business and community groups to enhance drought resilience practice, tools and technology.
An additional $60 million for 2019 Monsoon Trough: A strategy for long-term recovery
Instant Asset Write Off Increase
- Now, more than 99 per cent of businesses can write off the full value of any eligible asset they purchase for their business. This will be available to businesses with a turnover up to $5 billion, until June 2022.
Rail
$528 million for regional rail services for the people of Shepparton and Warrnambool
Modern Manufacturing Strategy
$1.5 billion for the Modern Manufacturing Strategy which provides support for Australia's food, beverages and agribusiness sector, more than $1.3 billion is for driving collaboration between industry participants and expediting R&D commercialisation. An additional $107.2 million is allocated to deliver the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative. The $50 million funding allocation for extension of the Industry Growth Centres initiative, including the Food and Agribusiness Grown Centre.
Pacific Labour Mobility Safeguarding the Welfare of Workers – Additional Funding and Support
- $9 million in additional measures to support the Seasonal Worker Programme’s (SWP) current model and ensure the program continues to protect the welfare of Pacific and Timorese workers.
- Pacific Labour Mobility Officers - based in states and territories to undertake additional welfare, monitoring, compliance and accommodation checks. The size, location and recruitments of SWP workers will determine the number and location of PLM Officers in each state and territory.
- Boosting community connection by funding the not-for-profit sector to strengthen their role in connecting Pacific workers with local community groups in worker locations. This will be done through a tender process before the end of 2020, with contract commencement in early 2021.
- The new measures will ensure the SWP continues to have sufficient integrity measures to protect the welfare of SWP workers and provide the support and additional education for employers who participate on the program.
