RE: Review of Regulatory Burdens on Business - Primary Sector

The VFF welcomes the draft research report and the analysis provided on the regulatory issues relating to the agricultural sector.

The removal of duplication in applying for drought assistance and streamlining support through adjustments to administrative arrangements needs to be actioned as a matter of urgency.

It is also imperative that the unnecessarily burdensome regulations relating to agricultural and veterinary chemicals are also addressed without delay.

The VFF urges the Productivity Commission to inject greater urgency into existing reviews. It is vital that industry is provided with updates on the status of reviews. The VFF provided input into the National Farmers Federation submission to the Bethwaite Review in February 2007. The review has not provided any feedback on the submission since this time.

The legislation pertaining to the on-farm use of biodiesel is complicated and has created confusion in the agricultural sector. Current regulations act as a deterrent to the purchase of biodiesel blends by farmers, since the blending of diesel and biodiesel is currently considered to constitute the manufacture of an excisable product which requires farmers to hold an excise licence. The VFF proposes that this regulation must be amended.
Yours sincerely
[signed]

Simon Ramsay President