What’s happening in the VFF Farm Business and Transport. Our team has been busy working across a number of issues for Victorian farmers.
STATE BUDGET SUBMISSION
The 2024-2025 Victorian State Budget will be released on May 7, 2024. The VFF has provided a submission to Treasurer Tim Pallas that reiterates the importance of the agricultural sector to the Victorian economy and sought additional funding for:
- An innovative capital expenditure fund – to drive further improvements in agriculture sector productivity, safety, resilience and climate change adaptation.
- Rural and regional roads – to provide increased funding and certainty for regional road repair and maintenance, including upgrading bridges on key agricultural transport routes.
- Biosecurity services – to ensure processes and tools are in place to ensure a rapid response to a widescale emergency animal or plant disease outbreak.
- Building Agriculture Victoria’s capacity – it must be adequately funded to carry out its responsibilities and have sufficient resources to monitor, evaluate and improve policy. The VFF has also sought ongoing funding certainty for the highly successful Making Our Farms Safer program.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT RATES
The VFF has commenced a project to monitor and analyse changes in local government rates as each council releases its 2024-25 budget. The VFF is particularly interested in movements in the level of rates and the changes in the differential between agricultural and other land uses.
The VFF will use this analysis to highlight inequities and advocate for the fair treatment of farmers. Members are asked to alert their local VFF branch when Council budgets are released and for this information to be provided to be emailed to [email protected]
VICTORIAN FREIGHT PLAN
The Department of Transport and Planning has established an Industry Stakeholder Reference Group as part of its plan to refresh the Victorian Freight Plan. The VFF, along with other key port and freight organisations, has been appointed to this group.
It met for the first time on 25 March 2024 and the VFF will work to see that the plan highlights key issues that matter to Victoria’s agricultural industry.
The new plan is expected to be published within the next 12 months and VFF members are encouraged to get in touch with the VFF Policy & Advocacy Team if they are interested in having direct input into the strategy.