Budget Measures
New measures announced in the Budget include:
Changed focus for Farm Help
The Federal Budget will provide $134.9 million to continue the Agriculture - Advancing Australia (AAA) programme Farm Help — Supporting Families through Change over the next four years with a renewed focus.
The new focus will be on supporting low-income farmers, who can no longer borrow against their assets, to make decisions that will enable them to change their situation for the better.
The programme will continue to assist farm families in severe financial difficulty while they assess their future in farming but there will be an increased emphasis on using strategic information, analysis and professional advice to support decision-making.
Farmers will be required to approach the programme as an opportunity to gain information and skills that will support a better outcome for them in the long term. They will also need to undergo a financial and viability assessment by qualified advisers and develop an activity plan.
Farmers qualifying for assistance will participate in quarterly reviews of their circumstances and progress against their activity plans to ensure they are using the programme effectively and progressing towards making positive changes to their situation.
For farm families choosing to leave farming, the maximum re-establishment grant will be increased from $45,000 to $50,000.
The Australian Government will review the programme again in 2005-06.
$66.7m to extend FarmBis
The Australian Government’s successful Agriculture - Advancing Australia (AAA) programme, FarmBis has received a further $66.7 million budget allocation over four years — taking the total Coalition expenditure to $172.7 million.
Since 1997 about 150,000 primary producers across Australia have participated in FarmBis-subsidised training and education.
This has resulted in improved business management skills and practice, adoption of innovation and financial self-reliance, with a significant rise in the number of producers showing a more business-oriented attitude to farming.
The Budget provides $13.6m in 2004-05, $17.7m in 2005-06, $17.8m in 2006-07 and $17.6m in 2007-08. Consistent with the existing FarmBis arrangements, this funding is contingent on matching funding from the States and the Northern Territory.
The programme will retain its key delivery principles.
These include:
- learning activities to be driven by primary producer demand and delivered on a competitive basis;
- a focus on short and medium-term learning activities; and
- a requirement for participants to contribute to the cost of their learning.
Rural Financial Counselling Service funded
for 4 more years
The Budget has ensured continuation of the Rural Financial Counselling Service (RFCS) by providing $23.3 million over four years for financial information, referrals and decision-making support for farm families in financial difficulties.
A review in 2005 will assess the efficiency of current RFCS delivery arrangements.
The RFCS normally provides information, financial analysis, counselling, and referrals to other programmes and services for around 10,000 farm families each year.
The Coalition Government will continue to provide grants to rural communities to meet 50 per cent of the cost of employing a rural financial counsellor and to help farm families in financial difficulty make informed decisions about future business directions.
Australian Government partners industry for growth
The Australian Government has provided $4.7 million for a new one-year Industry Partnerships initiative in the Agriculture - Advancing Australia package.
The initiative will engage targeted industries in close, information-driven partnerships to identify future challenges, training and leadership needs, market opportunities and adjustment pathways.
Selected industries will play an active role in designing, promoting and delivering initiatives identified through the partnership with the Australian Government.
Initiatives identified under the partnership might include developing new training products to address skills gaps and building leadership, adopting innovation and improving market links within the targeted industries.
The Government will review the initiative in 2005.
$457 million for flagship NRM programs
The Budget provides $457.5 million in 2004-05 for the Howard/Anderson Government’s flagship natural resource management programmes, the $1.4 billion National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality (NAP) and the $3 billion Natural Heritage Trust (NHT).
Over $300 million from this allocation will be invested through regional natural resource management organisations.
The regional approach is using natural resource management groups to involve communities in decisions about their local environment, in partnership with all levels of government.
The Australian Government will use natural resource management plans being developed by regional groups to make more informed investment decisions under the two programmes.
More Murray Darling funds flow
Murray Darling Basin communities will benefit from $86.5 million over four years for the work of the Murray Darling Basin Commission (MDBC), in addition to $89.7 million provided since 1996.
The Howard/Anderson Government will also provide $60 million over the next eight years as part of the Snowy River rescue package, specifically to increase Murray River flows.
The 2004-05 allocation to meet the funding needs of the MDBC will be $16.5 million. The Budget is in addition to the $200 million over five years the Australian Government has committed, subject to satisfactory agreement on the introduction of the National Water initiative, to address water over-allocation in the River Murray.
This will be complemented by the realignment of the seven-year, $150 million capital works programme to which the Murray Darling Basin Ministerial Council committed in April 2002.
The $150 million capital works programme is also additional to the $500 million COAG National Water Initiative funding and will be focussed on activities such as refurbishing dams and weirs, salinity mitigation and developing and implementing MDBC policies and strategies.
Commitment to Landcare maintained
The Budget has provided continued funding for the National Landcare Programme over the next four financial years following a review confirming the programme’s effectiveness.
The Budget provides $159.5 million over four years for Landcare on top of $500 million provided by the Coalition since 1996.
The 2003 review confirmed the need to continue the programme because of its effectiveness in engaging and equipping farmers and landholders to use and manage natural resources better, and identified the potential for savings through more efficient programme administration.
The savings will be achieved by using regional frameworks that have been set up to deliver natural resource management programmes, including the Natural Heritage Trust and the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality.
Some 40 per cent of farmers are members of Australia’s 4000 Landcare groups and another 35 per cent participate from time to time in landcare activities, making farmers our nation’s most committed and active hands-on carers for the environment.
More funds for Artesian Basin recovery
The Government has allocated $42.7 million over five years to extend the Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative (GABSI), which has been restoring artesian pressure since 1998.
The Government has already invested $32 million into the Basin to cap old free-flowing bores and replace earth bores with pipes. Around 300 priority bores have been rehabilitated, leaving another 850 to be treated.
Extension of the GABSI will include completing Western Australia’s Carnarvon Artesian Basin.
The rehabilitation of the Great Artesian Basin is a cooperative effort involving States and landholders.
Budget extends animal and plant disease response
A programme to further boost Australia’s readiness to respond to biosecurity threats and animal and plant disease emergencies has been allocated $21.6 million over four years in the 2004 Budget.
The Coalition Government’s Securing the Future initiative will build on the work of the Building a National Approach to Animal and Plant Health programme to strengthen Australia’s animal and plant health status.
The growing scope and diversity of trade relations; increases in international passenger, mail and cargo traffic; trading pressures for greater access of foreign agricultural produce to the Australian market and the emergence of new diseases are putting Australian industries under threat from new and emerging biosecurity risks.
Securing the Future will ensure Australia is positioned to respond to biosecurity threats to, and emergencies in, its agricultural, fisheries, forestry and food industries.
Budget funding attacks avian influenza
Australia will be better protected against the threat of Avian Influenza thanks to $133.6 million in funding announced in today’s budget — with $8.3 million to be administered by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS).
The funding will go towards a number of measures to enhance border protection at airports and seaports and strengthen protection against a viral epidemic such as avian influenza.
The funding will be injected into a number of measures, including the employment of additional staff and a targeted awareness campaign.
Currently, AQIS screens all flights, passengers, baggage and mail from high-risk countries. This will be further enhanced through an additional 47 employees, additional contractors to assist with luggage handling, and improved health room facilities.
AQIS will also implement an awareness campaign to alert travellers to the risks of bringing in avian influenza through poultry products, feathers and eggs.
Surveillance of Australia’s Northern borders will also be increased through the Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy.
Funds to strengthen agricultural trade links with Asia
A programme to strengthen Australia's bilateral agricultural trading arrangements with key trading partners, especially in Asia, has received $6.4 million over four years.
The International Agricultural Cooperation Programme, which is part of the Agriculture - Advancing Australia suite, plays an important role in strengthening trading relationships, especially with China, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines.
Activities under the programme will support the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s technical market access work and provide substance to high-level ministerial and other agreements.
Budget reinforces biosecurity standards
Australia will be better placed to advance its agricultural trade interests while maintaining its high standard of biosecurity as a result of $3.5 million in new Budget funding.
The funding will allow the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) agency Biosecurity Australia to ensure its import risk analysis process and related activities are timely, conducted with the highest standard of scientific rigour, transparent and consultative.
The extra funding will also help DAFF work with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in defending Australia’s interests against challenges to Australia’s quarantine system.
Marine pest fight gets $3.7 million
The Australian Government has provided $3.7 million to further develop a national system to manage introduced marine pests.
The funds will go towards implementing the National System for the Prevention and Management of Marine Pest Incursions, which will involve developing a coordinated response from Australian and State and Territory governments for dealing with the serious and growing problem of introduced marine pests.
Some components of the National System, including international ballast water-management arrangements, are already in place. This year’s budget funding will ensure the development of the rest, such as best management practices for aquaculture, and aquarium trade regulations.
$11.3 million to improve livestock trade
The Budget has provided nearly $11.3 million over the next four years to implement recommendations in the Keniry Report into Australia’s livestock export trade.
The funds will include the costs of stationing an Australian Government veterinary counsellor in the Middle East, improving animal welfare practices in importing countries and introducing a new industry regulatory system.
The livestock trade is a significant contributor to the Australian economy, generating about $1 billion a year in rural economies and supporting about 9,000 jobs.
$15 million for WA timber industry
Western Australia’s forestry industry and communities have received two programmes worth $15 million to help offset the effects of the State Government’s decision to cease logging in old-growth forests.
The Australian Government will provide $12.5 million over two years under the Forestry Assistance Programme for Western Australia to promote investment and long-term job creation in the industry.
Another $2.5 million will be provided under the Grants for Forest Communities programme and for small businesses that create employment in the forest industry.
Another $1 million for aquaculture
Australia’s fast growing aquaculture industry has received another $1 million in 2004-05 to build on initiatives begun last financial year.
The Government provided $2.5 million in 2003-04 to begin implementing the Action Agenda for Aquaculture to realise the industry’s sales vision of $2.5 billion by 2010.
The new funding will help the industry’s peak body, the National Aquaculture Council, fund an executive officer to continue implementing the action agenda.
It will also allow the continued promotion of Indigenous aquaculture agencies, help fund a marketing and promotional strategy and enable further progress on streamlining aquaculture regulation.
$3.8m to continue biotechnology studies in agriculture
The Australian Government Budget has provided another $3.8 million over the next four years to enable the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to pursue projects to assist the application of biotechnology in agriculture.
The money is earmarked from a further $20 million over four years provided in today’s Budget for the National Biotechnology Strategy, which is part of a broader Howard/Anderson Government initiative: Backing Australia’s Ability.
The funding will enable the department to continue studies and initiatives on important issues in agricultural biotechnology, with a focus on three main areas — supply chain management, marketing and emerging issues.
The investment will deliver balanced, quality information about the application of biotechnology, particularly gene technology, to agriculture and food.
Armed patrols to protect Southern Ocean Fisheries
Australian Customs Service and Australian Fisheries Officers will soon begin regular armed patrols of the Southern Ocean to better protect Australia’s sovereign interests and valuable fish resources.
The Budget includes almost $89.2 million over the next two years for armed patrols of Australian waters around the remote Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI) and costs related to any apprehensions.
The funding is part of a comprehensive plan to protect Australia’s Southern Ocean fisheries through increased patrols and surveillance, and closer cooperation with countries such as France and South Africa.
It will enable Customs and Fisheries officers to take immediate action to apprehend any illegal fishing vessel trying to catch the valuable Patagonian toothfish or committing any other offence inside this remote part of the Australian Fishing Zone.
$2.4 million for foreign Northern fisheries compliance
The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) received $2.4 million for foreign fisheries compliance in northern Australia, which will help protect Australia’s Northern borders.
The funding will ensure AFMA is fully equipped to fulfil its foreign fisheries compliance role in Northern Australia.
The Budget provides $1.9 million in 2004-05 to address existing pressures on AFMA’s finances as a result of the increasing foreign compliance workload in Northern Australia. The remaining $500,000 is for the maintenance and destruction of foreign fishing vessels and to aid in the investigation process.
Additional funding will also be provided to the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs to provide for increased removal costs of illegal foreign fishers.
In 2003, the Australian Government apprehended 139 suspected illegal foreign fishing vessels in the northern Australian Fishing Zone.