24 August 2012
CropLife supports a comprehensive review of the Australian Government Guidelines on Cost Recovery by the Department of Finance and Deregulation. It is important that where cost recovery arrangements are in place that agencies are clearly able to demonstrate in a fully transparent manner that the fees/levies are utilised only for those direct activities to which the charges have been incurred by industry. These fees and charges must be cost effective to allow for the growth of Australian industry, as well as to industry to bring to market innovative products that will drive overall improvements in the Australian economy.
CropLife would be concerned that any current reviews of cost recovery fees and charges should not be concluded until such time as the Australian Government has considered the outcomes of the current review being conducted by the Department of Finance and Deregulation and endorsed any changes to the Guidelines for Cost Recovery.