Logistics News

Sinking of biosecurity levy hike welcomed

ALC notes Biosecurity Levy Steering Committee opposition

 

The federal government has backed down on its Onshore Biosecurity Levy hike after broad opposition to it, including from transport and logistics interests.

The federal agriculture department paints this move as a result of industry consultation.

“The department undertook a co-design process with industry to develop a levy model that was practical for industry and the government,” the department says.

“This process highlighted that a levy could not be implemented without significant regulatory impacts on industry and proposed levy payers.

“This decision has also been made in consideration of the ongoing impacts of drought, bushfires and Covid-19 on the Australian economy and the rapidly changing global trade environment.”

It adds: “A levy will not be progressed and this decision will not impact on the overall biosecurity budget.”


Read how Biosecurity Levy Steering Committee came out against it, here


The Australian Logistics Council (ALC), however, casts it as a vindication of the strong stand industry took against its imposition.    

“ALC has been opposed to this flawed proposal from the very start and has publicly expressed its concerns regarding the Levy since it was first announced in May 2018 without any proper industry consultation,” ALC CEO Kirk Coningham says.

“Today’s announcement vindicates the strong stance ALC and other industry groups took against this policy proposal.

“The Biosecurity Levy Steering Committee report released last year backed the view that ALC and other industry participants expressed – the Levy as originally proposed was poorly designed, was not based on a full and proper consideration of biosecurity risks and provided no guarantee that revenue raised would actually be used to enhance biosecurity measures.

“ALC supports a robust and properly funded biosecurity protection regime for Australia.

“However, policy responses must be designed based on biosecurity risks, ensure any financial burden is shared by all parties contributing to those risks, and make certain that all revenue raised is directly expended on biosecurity measures.

“The Government’s inability to provide those assurances is why the industry remained opposed to this Levy proposal – and we are very pleased it has now been abandoned. We thank the Government for listening to industry’s concerns and acting accordingly.”

 

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