AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES & FORESTRY

AMEND

  • Biosecurity Act

  • Water Act

  • Export Control Act

  • Agricultural levies legislation

  • Regional investment frameworks

REMOVE / CONSOLIDATE

  • Duplicated biosecurity reporting

  • Overlapping water governance bodies

  • Redundant commodity boards

CREATE

  • National Food Security Act

  • Regional Processing & Value‑Add Hubs

  • Sovereign Agricultural Inputs Strategy

  • National Soil & Water Resilience Framework

  • First Nations Land & Water Co‑Management Act

OVERVIEW

Australia’s agriculture system is foundational to national security, food supply, export strength, and regional prosperity. The reform program rebuilds the system from the ground up — unifying biosecurity, water, climate, workforce, technology, and regional capability into a single national framework.

PURPOSE

  • Strengthen national food and biosecurity systems

  • Modernise agriculture through technology, data, and skills

  • Build climate‑ready, water‑secure regional communities

  • Support farmers, producers, and supply chains

  • Integrate agriculture with national energy, water, and transport grids

  • Deliver transparent, real‑time performance reporting

NATIONAL AGRICULTURE–ENERGY–WATER OPERATIONS HUB

A unified operations hub linking:

  • Biosecurity alerts

  • Water storage, flows & irrigation

  • Grid capacity & on‑farm renewables

  • Climate, soil moisture & yield forecasting

How the national grid helps:

  • Smart irrigation when renewable energy is abundant

  • Optimised water delivery

  • Priority power & water for critical food/biosecurity sites

  • Real‑time drought/flood response

AUSTRALIANS UNIFIED AGRICULTURE & BIOSECURITY DATA PLATFORM

A single national platform for:

  • Crops, livestock, pests, soil, water, climate, trade, incidents

  • Predictive tools for outbreaks, yield, water stress, supply chain disruption

  • Role‑based access for farmers, First Nations groups, researchers, states & Commonwealth

 REGIONAL ONE‑STOP SERVICE HUBS

Co‑located services for:

  • Biosecurity

  • Water

  • Energy

  • Climate adaptation

  • Farm business support

Plus:

  • First Nations stewardship units

  • Mobile/digital outreach for remote communities

NATIONAL SURGE & RESILIENCE CAPABILITY

  • Standing surge workforce (biosecurity, emergency, water, energy)

  • Strategic reserves of critical inputs

  • National scenario labs simulating combined shocks

 

 

SIX REFORM STREAMS

1. National Agriculture Coordination

  • National Agriculture Strategy

  • Cross‑portfolio alignment (Water, Climate, Energy, Infrastructure)

  • Regional coordination hubs

  • National supply chain planning

  • Export market integration

Biosecurity & Border Protection

  • National Biosecurity Command

  • Real‑time threat detection

  • Surveillance & monitoring systems

  • Emergency response capability

  • Import/export risk management

  • Workforce uplift for inspectors & vets

Water, Climate & Environmental Management

  • National Water Grid integration

  • Climate‑smart farming programs

  • Drought, flood & fire resilience

  • Soil, biodiversity & land stewardship

  • First Nations water & land partnerships

Agricultural Workforce & Skills Pipelines

  • National skills pipeline for vets, agronomists, inspectors

  • Micro‑credentials in climate‑smart agriculture

  • Regional training hubs

  • Youth pathways & apprenticeships

  • Workforce mobility & surge capacity

Regional Development & Community Capability

  • Regional One‑Stop Service Hubs

  • Local economic development

  • Infrastructure alignment (roads, rail, energy, water)

  • Community resilience programs

  • First Nations community partnerships

Technology, Data & Innovation

  • National Agriculture Data Platform

  • Real‑time dashboards

  • Predictive modelling (climate, pests, markets)

  • Smart irrigation & water systems

  • Robotics, sensors & automation

 

 

FISHERIES & FORESTRY MODERNISATION

  • Sustainable fisheries management

  • Forestry workforce & safety

  • Climate‑aligned forestry practices

  • Export compliance & certification

  • Marine & coastal monitoring

This is where our journey begins. Get to know our business and what we do, and how we're committed to quality and great service. Join us as we grow and succeed together. We're glad you're here to be a part of our story.

COST vs BENEFIT — AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES & FORESTRY PORTFOLIO

National Investment vs National Return

 

🟩 COSTS / INVESTMENT AREAS

Core Portfolio Investments

  • Biosecurity system modernisation

  • Water infrastructure & drought resilience

  • Regional processing & value‑add hubs

  • Ag‑tech, robotics & precision farming

  • Workforce training & skills pipeline

  • First Nations land & water co‑management

  • Climate‑smart agriculture programs

  • National Agriculture Data Platform

  • Regional One‑Stop Service Hubs

  • Surge workforce & strategic reserves

Sub‑Department Investments

  • Biosecurity Australia: threat detection, surveillance, emergency response

  • Fisheries Management Authority: sustainable quotas, marine monitoring

  • Forest Industry Advisory Council: workforce safety, climate‑aligned practices

  • Regional Development Agencies: infrastructure, local economic development

  • Water & Climate Integration Office: modelling, allocation, resilience

  • National Agriculture Data Office: dashboards, predictive tools, export compliance

 

🟦 BENEFITS / NATIONAL RETURNS

Direct Economic Returns

  • Higher‑value agricultural exports

  • Reduced biosecurity losses

  • Increased regional productivity

  • Faster export certification

  • Lower input costs via ag‑tech

  • Reduced duplication across agencies

  • Stronger trade access via compliance uplift

Public Value Returns

  • Stronger food security

  • Climate‑ready farming systems

  • Water security for communities & industry

  • Resilient regional economies

  • First Nations leadership in land & water

  • Faster emergency response

  • Transparent national performance reporting

Total Investment: A$9.85B Total Estimated Return: A$23.7B annually

🟨 OVERALL OUTCOME

A sovereign, high‑return agriculture system delivering food security, export strength, regional prosperity, and climate resilience — with a 2.4x return on national investment.

What we do

We offer a range of specialized services tailored to meet your individual needs. Our approach is focused on understanding and responding to what you require, providing effective and practical solutions.