Budget Measures
Bolstering quarantine defences
Australia’s strict quarantine regime and increased intervention arrangements will be maintained with more than $560.9 million over four years being provided in today’s Budget.
The money will be spread across the agencies involved in quarantine — the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS), Australian Customs Service and Biosecurity Australia.
AQIS will receive $266.1 million to maintain the Quarantine Border Security Programme — which has raised screening rates for international mail and freight to 100 per cent and has increased international airline checks from 25 per cent to more than 90 per cent — and Customs will receive $250 million for its role in quarantine border protection.
Today’s Budget continues the Coalition Government’s policy of progressive increases in quarantine funding of more than $1.3 billion since 1996.
The Australian Government is also acknowledging in today’s Budget the risk to Australia posed by the spread of avian influenza in Asia, providing a further $5.6 million for passenger and luggage‑screening programmes, increased surveillance activities in northern Australia, and a public awareness campaign.
Biosecurity Australia
The 2005‑06 Budget provision for Australia’s quarantine services fulfils another election commitment to boost the integrity of the import risk analysis process and the independence of Biosecurity Australia. The Government established Biosecurity Australia as a prescribed agency in 2004.
Today’s Budget funding of $39.2 million over four years puts the agency on a firm and secure financial platform, which will be critical to ensuring that sound science determines outcomes in this important part of our quarantine regime.
The funding will provide Biosecurity Australia with the financial platform needed for its work as a prescribed agency.
Supporting Australia’s exporters
The 2005‑06 Budget allocation also upholds the $144 million Coalition Government election commitment to continue to offset 40 per cent of AQIS’s export certification and inspection charges for agricultural exports.
Under this measure, $144 million will be provided to AQIS to meet the cost of these lower charges.
With over 64 per cent of agricultural production from Australian farms exported, the benefits to producers and regional communities are substantial.
National Livestock Identification Scheme
From 1 July 2005, all states will have commenced roll‑out of the National Livestock Identification Scheme (NLIS) for cattle and progressed work on the design of the NLIS mechanism for sheep.
Although the scheme is essentially a state and territory responsibility, the Coalition Government has allocated $20 million over four years to assist the Australian livestock industry to introduce the scheme on a national level.
Improving risk analysis
The Budget provides $7.9 million over four years to establish a Centre of Excellence for Risk Analysis.
The Centre will become a focal point for organisations wanting to improve their risk management techniques, including the use of mathematical risk models.
Weed control
Today’s Budget honours an election commitment to provide $40 million over four years to the Defeating the Weed Menace Programme.
The programme will boost weed control and the necessary research as well as community awareness and action.
The initiative will be largely implemented through the regional groups established under the Natural Heritage Trust and the National Landcare Programme.
Local action against salinity
Research by the Bureau of Rural Sciences indicates that salt deposits in the Murray‑Darling Basin that likely to be moved in rivers by groundwater, can be identified and immobilised.
The 2005‑06 Budget provides $20 million over two years under the National Action Plan to support Landcare and Waterwatch volunteer movements undertaking a Basin‑wide monitoring programme to identify where salt enters rivers and streams.
The funds will enable community groups to participate in monitoring and mapping of salinity hot spots in the Basin, so tailored management options can be delivered for effective local action.
Keeping the Snowy and River Murray flowing
A programme to improve environmental water flows in the River Murray and Snowy River has been assured for a further four years by funding in today’s Budget.
The Budget provides $30 million under the terms of the 2002 Snowy Waters Inquiry Outcomes Implementation Deed, agreed with New South Wales and Victoria, to deliver water for environmental flows into the two rivers.
The government has committed $7.5 million annually through the Joint Government Enterprise for Murray Environmental Flows (trading as Water for Rivers) for 10 years until 2012. New South Wales and Victoria have each agreed to commit $15 million annually in the same period.
The Budget funding for Water for Rivers is part of the Australian Government’s ambitious water reform agenda, which includes the National Water Initiative and $200 million commitment to the Living Murray Initiative.
The $500 million Living Murray Initiative was established in 2004 to assure the health of the River Murray system. Now that the state and territory governments have reconfirmed their commitment to the National Water Initiative, $200 million will be appropriated to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in the 2005‑06 Budget to enable investment in a range of water recovery and water efficiency activities as part of the Living Murray Initiative over the next five years. The funding is in line with the Council of Australian Government’s resolution on the National Water Initiative and builds on $150 million already allocated by the Basin jurisdictions to assist delivery of water to complement the Living Murray objectives.
Sealing partnerships with industry
The Industry Partnership Programme has received funding of $15 million over the next three years in today’s Budget, building on the success of the Coalition Government's one‑year, $4.7 million pilot programme.
The initiative is part of the Government’s $1 billion Agriculture - Advancing Australia Package, which includes highly successful programmes such as FarmBis, Farm Help and Farm Management Deposits.
The Industry Partnership Programme will enable industries to form a partnership with the Government to analyse their strengths and weaknesses and to identify and address threats and opportunities over a five to 10 year period.
Industries will contribute in‑kind or provide other support to the projects.
Funding for recreational fishing programmes
The important contribution recreational fishing makes to local economies is recognised in today’s Budget, with $15 million being provided over three years for a community grants programme.
The Recreational Fishing Community Grants Programme will provide grants up to $100,000 to community groups for a range of purposes, including artificial reefs to attract fish and improvements to infrastructure like tracks and paths to fishing spots.
More than three million people in Australia go fishing at least once a year, and 24 per cent of Australian households fish regularly. Australians spent more than $1.8 billion on recreational fishing services during 2001.
Boosting food processing in regional Australia
Another election commitment honoured in the 2005‑06 Budget as part of the Howard/Anderson Government’s Investing in our Farming Future Initiative is the provision of $12 million over four years to boost food processing in regional Australia.
The programme will help stimulate economic growth by encouraging the value‑adding of food produce before it leaves rural and regional areas and by also strengthening the associated infrastructure and support network.
Under the programme, individuals, groups of primary producers or small to medium‑sized agribusinesses may be eligible for Australian Government funding of up to $200,000 for projects.
Opening doors to new markets
Funding in today’s Budget will help open up new opportunities in key markets for Australian exporters.
The Budget provides $9.7 million over four years to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry for a new International Food and Agriculture Service to build on the achievements of Australia’s existing bilateral and technical market access efforts.
The Service will enable Australia to follow up on the signing of free trade agreements with the United States, Singapore and Thailand with ‘on‑the‑ground’ action.
The new Service, initially, will post a further two agricultural counsellors overseas to high priority and emerging markets in Asia. Additional resources will also be established in Canberra to support our market expansion activities.
Promoting 100 per cent Aussie‑produced food
Shoppers looking for 100 per cent Australian‑produced food and food products in supermarkets should have their task made easier as a result of a new campaign funded in the Budget.
The Budget has provided $3 million — to be matched by industry — to fund a national rollout of the Australian HomeGrown campaign over the next two years.
This is in addition to Government funding of $500,000 for the pilot campaign for HomeGrown run in Coles stores across Victoria between January and March this year. Another $500,000 is also available to support the campaign this year, depending on industry contributions.
This delivers on the Government’s election commitment to provide up to $4 million to support the campaign.
The HomeGrown campaign is owned and managed commercially by the not‑for‑profit company, Australian HomeGrown Limited.
Continuing the fight against illegal fishing
Australia’s fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in its territorial waters has received further funding in the 2005‑06 Budget.
The Budget provides $217.2 million over five years to continue patrols and work with other nations to apprehend and monitor illegal fishers, particularly in the Southern Ocean.
The new programme will strengthen Australia’s ability to protect the Southern Ocean fisheries and ensure the survival of the Patagonian toothfish fishery.
The 2005‑06 Budget also provides $91.4 million over five years spread across AFMA, AQIS, DIMIA and the Department of Defence to deal with the increasing number of illegal fishers being apprehended in our northern waters.
Australia has also been conducting an effective campaign against illegal fishing in our northern waters. The $91.4 million funding includes $43 million to strengthen the processing and detention of suspected illegal foreign fishers, and to increase AFMA’s capacity to apprehend and prosecute illegal fishers. It also includes funding for AQIS to monitor and protect Australia from potential quarantine risks from apprehended boats.
Securing a future for southern bluefin tuna
Australia will continue to support international scientific research to secure the long‑term future of the valuable southern bluefin tuna fishery.
Today’s Budget provides $3 million over three years to continue Australia’s support for the Scientific Research Programme of the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna.
The Australian southern bluefin tuna fishery has an annual gross production value of around $300 million, and statutory fishing rights valued at up to $1 billion.
The industry provides 3,000 jobs in regional South Australia.
Healthy soils for sustainable farms
The 2005 Budget has provided $5 million over four years to the Healthy Soils for Sustainable Farms Programme from the Natural Heritage Trust to further aid in the transition to agricultural practices, which assure the health of our soils.
The programme will build on our successful industry partnership programme under Landcare and the community‑based regional groups established under the Natural Heritage Trust and the National Action Plan.
Improving animal welfare
Today’s Budget provides $6 million over five years to help implement the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy, endorsed by the Primary Industries Ministerial Council in May 2004.
The Strategy builds on the current animal welfare framework in Australia to achieve sustainable animal welfare improvements.