Agriculture plays a critical role in regional employment and community life.
The sector is characterised by small businesses operating in diverse and
sometimes remote environments, where physical, technical and regulatory
constraints often shape employment practices. It is therefore essential that
any amendments to the DDA strike a balance between protecting the rights
of people with disability on the one hand and ensuring that compliance
obligations remain practical, proportionate and achievable for farm
enterprises on the other.
Thev proposed amendments under Part 3 – Encouraging inclusion of people with disability in employment, education and other areas of public life, while noble sentiments may, without appropriate clarification, raise several issues that could inadvertently increase regulatory burden and uncertainty for employers, particularly small and regional agricultural businesses, without delivering clear safety or inclusion benefits.
The NFF’s full submission can be found here.
Chrissy Kerin