Tony Crook (O'Connor, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to table this petition as a document of the House.

Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My understanding is that the petition is not in order to be received as a petition. However, you are able to table it as a document provided there is no objection. As there is no objection, the document will be received on that basis.

Tony Crook (O'Connor, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you. Today I present this document to the House of Representatives on behalf of 4Farmers, a national farming agent involved with importing and distributing agricultural chemicals Of their own initiative, 4Farmers have worked to put together this document which has gathered more than 500 signatures to seek to draw to the House’s attention the issue of chemical tariffs on imported farm chemicals. The document reads as follows:

This document of Australian farmers draws to the attention of the House the presence of import tariffs on finished farm chemicals and technical grade active constituents of farm chemicals. A five per cent tariff is applied to a range of common agricultural chemicals which ultimately results in an additional cost to farmers.

The document asks the House to remove all import tariffs on finished farm chemicals and technical-grade active constituents on farm chemicals, and is signed by 521 citizens. I would further like to draw the Australian government’s attention the dire circumstances many farmers are facing as a result of a number of bad years capped off by severe droughts in WA and severe floods in Queensland and other areas.

It is estimated this tariff costs farmers around $1 dollar per hectare. The removal of this tariff could see the individual farmers saving thousands of dollars. There may also be an issue of the tariff hampering local competition. While larger farming agents are able to manufacture chemicals within Australia to avoid the tariff, smaller agents are only able to import and distribute chemicals and are forced to pay a higher price because of this.

I thank the House.