Second Exposure Draft of the Agricultural Chemicals Legislation Amendment Bill 2012 – Submission

Whilst CropLife fully supports the need for agricultural chemical regulatory reform in Australia, it is both concerned and disappointed that, despite numerous representations, submissions and reviews over many years, several critical reforms to improve agricultural chemical regulation remain ignored and unaddressed. These missing critical reforms, and the lack of any serious attempt to investigate and document the costs and benefits associated with the reform package that has been presented seriously question the commitment of the Government to providing the efficiency improvements long sought by the agricultural chemical industry.

CropLife’s submission urgently recommends that:

• A cost benefit analysis is conducted to ensure that the package of amendments delivers a net benefit to the community;
• The proposed amendments in the exposure draft be subjected to a detailed review to ensure that they are consistent with the Government’s stated outcomes; and
•  Key efficiency and productivity reforms proposed by CropLife over several years are implemented.

These recommendations, along with the proposals recommended by CropLife throughout our submission are not minor in nature. To ensure that the package operates as intended, CropLife urges the Government to consider delaying commencement of these reforms as it is critical that they be subject to proper accountability and transparency procedures in advance of their implementation.