Exporters in new and emerging industries and those in established ones will benefit from simplified agricultural export legislation, now released for public consultation, making the regulations easier to follow to save exporters time and money.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Barnaby Joyce, said the Coalition Government was cutting red tape to improve trade, create more efficient export procedures, and limit the costs of doing business and to ensure agricultural goods aren’t delayed for export.
“While the existing legislation has worked well for 35 years, input to a review undertaken by the Coalition Government showed there is scope for it to be modernised to enable exporters to seize future opportunities,” Minister Joyce said.
“The new export legislation will consolidate the existing web of regulation into a single Export Control Bill and supporting delegated legislation.
“We’re aiming to make the rules for exporting easier to understand, use and comply with, while maintaining the level of regulatory oversight expected by our trading partners.”
Australian Alpaca Association President, Ian Frith, said the simplified export legislation will provide an important boost to producers in new and emerging industries.
“By making the rules and requirements easier to follow new and emerging industries, such as those in the alpaca industry, will have increased confidence to pursue new, and potentially highly lucrative, export opportunities,” Mr Frith said.
John Langbridge, Industry and Corporate Affairs Manager at Teys Australia, Australia’s second largest meat processor and exporter, said the legislation must be flexible and responsive to change in market access requirements.
“The legislation must enable the rapid uptake of approved emerging technologies, such as the use of robotics, x-ray, ultra sound, hyperspectral imaging, thermal imaging and barcoding, to grow and support meat exports in the future,” Mr Langbridge said.
The consultation period on the exposure draft runs for 60 days.
The improved legislation will be implemented around 1 April 2020, when much of the existing framework is due to expire.