Australia’s biosecurity measures have strengthened in the federal budget - but not without a cost: farmers, travelers and importers will pay more to underpin Australia’s first ongoing biosecurity funding model 

Biosecurity as well as worker and market access for Australia’s agricultural sector, has been boosted by $1.5 million of new spending in the Federal Budget tabled in parliament last night and will be funded in part with a proposed increase in agricultural levies. 

The Government will provide funding over four years to strengthen the system, including more significant regulation, increased surveillance and international engagement. 



Minister of Agriculture Murray Watt said in a media statement, “In total the Budget delivers $1.5 billion in new spending to help ensure agriculture is protected from short and long-term threats like exotic pests, disease and climate change, as well as helping to grow the industry through access to more workers and overseas trade markets.” 

“Importers will contribute more fairly through their clearance costs with increased fees and charges expected to take their total contribution to biosecurity costs to almost $350 million next year,” he said. 

He added that the Government will look at introducing a broader import levy in the future and introducing “a modest new biosecurity protection levy on agriculture, fisheries and forestry producers,” which the Government expects will raise about $150 million over the next three years. 

The proposed increase in agricultural levies, “set at a rate equivalent to 10 percent of the 2020-21 industry-led agricultural levies” from July 2024. 

Federal Nationals leader David Littleproud said the new tax on farmers to pay for the biosecurity risk of international importers was senseless. It would be passed onto consumers, saying it amounted to a food tax.  

ABOVE: Shona Gawel from GrainGrowers. Image: Graingrowers 

“It is unfathomable the Labor Government would ask farmers to pay for the biosecurity costs of importers from other countries,” Mr Littleproud said. 

GrainGrowers chief executive officer Shona Gawel said the decision to impose a biosecurity protection levy on producers was disappointing, as farmers were not risk creators and could now be facing unnecessary costs. 

“Murray Watt only recently endorsed an independent report by the Invasive Species Council that suggested the people who create the biosecurity risks need to pay their fair share,” Ms. Gawel said. 

“The imposition of what the government believes is a ‘modest levy’ is neither fair nor well directed, and we would respectfully ask the Government to reconsider such a short-sighted decision.” 

President of NSW Farmers Xavier Martin said the budget has “fallen short” of expectations, particularly around the significant biosecurity threats Australian farmers face. 

“At first glance, $1B in extra funding to strengthen biosecurity measures sounds great; however, it’s farmers that are being told to pay for it with a new biosecurity protection levy,” Mr. Martin said. 

“We are locking in higher and more certain biosecurity funding, along with a fair system to pay for it that shares the cost equitably between taxpayers, importers, parcel senders, international travelers, and producers,” Minister Watt said. 

Other key agriculture measures in the 2023 Federal Budget include: 

• $145.2M upgrade to digital biosecurity services through a new Simplified Targeting and Enhanced Processing System.  
• $302.1M over five years to support climate-smart agriculture through the Natural Heritage Trust. 
• $38.3M for ABARES to improve the collection, analysis, and sharing of data on the impact of climate change and low-emission technology on agriculture.; 
• $127M to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, a one-off payment in 2022-23 to ensure its viability; 
• $5M to develop a renewed Australian Animal Welfare Strategy to deliver on the Government’s election commitment to update and enhance a national approach to animal welfare