Urging Senate support for Carbon Tax repeal

The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) today reinforced the need to repeal the Carbon Tax, reiterating the case that it imposes costs on Australian farmers that puts the agricultural sector’s competitive position at risk.
As momentum builds for the case to repeal the tax in the Senate today, NFF President, Mr Brent Finlay, joins other key industry leaders, adding the voice of Australian agriculture to the debate.
“The NFF and our members have been rightly voicing our opposition over the impacts of a carbon price since it was initially introduced by the former Government three years ago,” Mr Finlay said.
“Even with agriculture’s direct emissions excluded from the scheme, the imposts on industry have impacted on the sector’s ability to compete in international and domestic markets as strongly as it otherwise would have. More concerning, it jeopardises the industry’s ability to remain competitive into the future.
“Agriculture remains a heavily-affected sector due to the flow-on costs allocated to transport and electricity, and by the pass-through costs from agricultural processors. The Carbon Tax is an example of more bureaucracy imposed on the Australian agriculture industry. In many senses, it is unnecessary,” Mr Finlay said.
Farmers are at the frontline of delivering environmental outcomes on behalf of the Australian community, owning, managing and caring for 61 percent of Australia’s land mass.
Some of the activities undertaken by farmers include: soil sequestration through minimum till farming; revegetation of land and waterways; and methane management of livestock and effluent ponds.
“Australian farmers have led the way in emissions reductions without the Carbon Tax,” Mr Finlay said.
“Using appropriate incentives enables farmers to be rewarded for carbon mitigation practices undertaken on farm.
“If the Carbon Tax is not repealed, industry will increasingly bear the burden and this will inevitably impact on the broader economy,” Mr Finlay said.