NFF Submission to the Joint Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence
This submission comments on the terms of reference of the Joint Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence, appointed by the Australian Parliament on 20 August 2026. It adopts a neutral position: artificial intelligence presents material opportunities for productivity, innovation, public administration and regional development, while also creating risks that require proportionate, evidence-based and adaptable policy responses. […]
Submission on the Competition and Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Banning Unfair Non-Competes) Bill 2026 Response to the Exposure Draft Legislation
The National Farmers Federation welcomes the opportunity to comment on the exposure draft of the Competition and Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Banning Unfair Non-Competes) Bill 2026 (Exposure Draft) set out by the Government. The objectives of the Exposure Draft i.e. supporting labour mobility, wage growth, productivity and competition are legitimate and important. At the same […]
Strengthening Australia’s legislative response to modern slavery in supply chains, NFF response to discussion paper
The National Farmers’ Federation welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Australian Government’s discussion paper on strengthening Australia’s legislative response to modern slavery in supply chains. Modern slavery is a grave violation of human rights and has no place in Australian agriculture, food production, or any domestic or global supply chain. The NFF supports a […]
2026-27 Safeguard Mechanism Review
NFF does not support a policy architecture that increasingly relies on agriculture to supply lower-cost offsets for residual emissions generated elsewhere in the economy. Agriculture cannot be taken for granted to do the heavy lifting for other sectors that carry on as business-as-usual, particularly where those sectors have access to more established and mature opportunities […]
Submission Consultation draft: Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA)
The NFF is requesting an acknowledgement of tasks and descriptions of OSCA code 343136 (Senior Broadacre Crop Farm Worker) be responsive to the real-world demands of working on a Grain Farm today. The value of the level of practical experience would, in an ideal world, necessitate a dedicated OSCA code for an experienced Farm Machine […]
Water Act 2007 (Cth) Review – Public Consultation
The context in which the Water Act operates has evolved considerably since its commencement. National water information arrangements are more developed, Commonwealth institutions and regulatory functions are well established, State and Territory water planning and entitlement systems have continued to mature, and the broader intergovernmental water policy landscape has become increasingly complex. Within the Basin, […]
Proposed Change to the Soil Organic Carbon Method 2021 Supplement
In responding to these findings, it is equally important that changes preserve confidence among farmers and project proponents alike who have made long-term investment decisions based on existing methodology settings. While integrity is fundamental, so too is confidence that Scheme settings will remain sufficiently stable for those undertaking long-term investment decisions. We recognise that the […]
Fossil Methane: A Near-Term Abatement Opportunity
It is important to note that a stronger focus on reducing fossil methane emissions must not come at the expense of reduced support for innovation and research and development within agriculture. Agriculture remains hard-to-abate, and available methane reduction technologies vary significantly between production systems. Continued public and private investment is required to develop commercially viable […]
Draft Report: Independent Review of the Snowy Water Inquiry Outcomes Implementation Deed
The Draft Report characterises the modelled impacts on downstream water users as relatively small and manageable – we do not accept that characterisation. While the modelling indicates that high-security entitlements remain unaffected, it identifies potential reductions in general security diversions of around 2-3% in drier years and reductions in end-of-year allocations of between 1-3%. This […]
Nature Repair (Enhanced Native Vegetation) Methodology Determination
The NFF’s original submission in November 2025 raised significant concerns about the restriction of projects to selected IBRA subregions in eastern and south-western Australia. The NFF argued that this substantially constrained participation, particularly across northern Australia and grazing and native-pasture landscapes, and recommended consideration of percentage-based eligibility or case-by-case assessment for otherwise suitable projects. […]