Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the federal coalition, I can advise the Senate that we will be supporting the Agriculture Legislation Amendment (Modernising Administrative Processes) Bill 2024. Overall, it has our support because we believe that the amendments outlined in this legislation are sensible, responsible and practical. The bill will help to ensure that the Primary Industries Research and Development Act 1989 is modernised, upgraded and fit for purpose while also repealing an act that is no longer needed.

From the outset, when it comes to the Primary Industries Research and Development Act 1989, it's important to recognise the major role that it has within Australia's primary production sector. The purpose of this act is to authorise and regulate four of our rural research and development corporations—we call them the RDCs. For more than three decades these RDCs, which include fisheries, cotton, grain and AgriFutures, have driven forward evidence based innovation, boosted strategic partnerships and helped secure targeted investment in each of their respective industries. They allow the federal government and primary producers to co-invest. I like to think it's the taxpayers and primary producers co-investing to make sure our primary production sector is fit for purpose by delivering the next generation of research but also making sure it delivers a return to the farm gate. That's a collective effort. Not just the entire industry but many communities throughout rural, regional and remote Australia will benefit. Therefore, it's essential that our RDCs operate as effectively and efficiently as possible, and we believe the measures contained within this bill do exactly that.

Significantly, this legislation will enhance the operation of the Primary Industries Research and Development Act by improving the efficiency of administrative processes which relate to its governance and appointments. Amendments include streamlining and clarifying the nomination of RDC board members by a selection committee, which are then recommended to the minister for agriculture. It also removes the requirement for an annual report to be provided to the minister if no activity has been undertaken by the selection committee. Acknowledging that the RDCs meet twice annually, this bill will remove the requirement for the four statutory RDC chairpersons to have a coordination meeting each year. The coalition believes that that is a reasonable change.

The second major component of this bill includes repealing the outdated Rural Adjustment Act 1992 and making transitional provisions to allow information and documents held by the National Rural Advisory Council to be provided to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Given that the Rural Adjustment Scheme ceased in 1997, that all financial commitments were acquitted in the year 2000 and that the funding for the Farm Business Improvement Program ended in February 2008, repealing this act in 2024 just makes sense.

In conclusion, the federal coalition will be supporting this bill, and we commend it to the Senate.