National Environmental Standard for Environmental Offsets
The proposed Environmental Offsets Standard is not yet sufficiently clear or practical for implementation in agricultural landscapes. There is a need to clearly define how key concepts will work in-practice so that landholders and proponents alike understand their obligations and have confidence to engage with the proposed framework. This includes understanding how concepts such as […]
National Environmental Standard for Matters of National Environmental Significance
At a high-level, NFF does not support the MNES Standard that has been presented. The draft Standard does not provide a clear, practical, or viable pathway for agriculture to assess our obligations or determine whether routine farming activities have a Significant Impact on a MNES. It is therefore unfit-for-purpose and cannot be progressed in its […]
Carbon Credits and Other Legislation Amendment (Integrity and Transparency) Bill Consultation
NFF supports reforms that strengthen confidence in the ACCU Scheme and improve the integrity and transparency of carbon markets. Integrity reforms must be designed with the practical realities of agricultural participation in mind. Farmers and landholders already face complex Scheme rules, long project timeframes, substantial transaction costs, audit obligations, consent requirements (in some instances), permanence […]
Nature Repair Market: Ongoing Development
The Government’s environmental law reform package was passed on 28 November 2025, including consequential amendments to the Nature Repair Act 2023 to require methodology determinations under Nature Repair to specify whether biodiversity certificates issued for relevant registered projects can be used as environmental offsets under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999. As […]
NFF Submissions: 2026 Murray-Darling Basin Plan Review Discussion Paper and The Menindee Lakes Review
At this stage of implementation, the central issue for the Review is no longer whether additional volumes of water can be recovered through voluntary water purchase, but whether further recovery is justified given the disproportionate and cumulative socio-economic costs already incurred, and the uncertain environmental benefits of additional water recovery in a constrained and highly […]
Productivity Commission Review into National Water Reform 2026
Significant challenges continue to undermine town water security, particularly in regional and remote areas of the Murray-Darling Basin. In these regions, regulatory and funding constraints have repeatedly impeded the construction of critical infrastructure, including weirs and storage upgrades. Consequently, the ability to deliver secure and reliable potable water remains compromised, limiting dependable service outcomes for these […]
National Statement on First Nations in Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry
While the draft National Statement acknowledges challenges relating to “complexities of communal land tenure, land rights, and limited access to collateral”, the draft National Statement does not attempt to engage directly with, or alter, established land tenure arrangements. As previously stated, such measures would far exceed the boundaries and purpose of a National Statement. This […]
Response to the annual review of minimum wage
The Fair Work Commission is conducting its annual wage review. The NFF’s full submission can be found here.
Inquiry into the operation and adequacy of the National Employment Standards (NES)
The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment, Workplace Relations Skills and Training has been commissioned by the Minister for Workplace Relations Amanda Rishworth to conduct an inquiry into the National Employment Standards contained in the Fair Work Act and their continuing relevance to the modern workplace. The NFF’s full submission can be found here.
Response to review of Closing Loopholes Acts
The Minister for Workplace Relations Amanda Rishworth has commissioned a review into the Closing the Loopholes Legislation. The review is being conducted by a former member of the Fair Work Commission Susan Booth and is due to report by June 15. The NFF’s full submission can be found here.