VOTE NOW – GPA GRAINS LEVY REVIEW CONSULTATIONS

Grain Producers Australia (GPA) is calling on all grain growers to vote and have your say on changes that can protect and strengthen the $27 billion Australian grains industry’s future value and productivity.

Vote now HERE

Earlier this month, GPA launched a final phase of consultation in processes for reviewing the grains levy, giving all growers opportunity to vote on preferred rates.

The review consultation has been groundbreaking, in making information and resources as widely accessible as possible through the use of online tools and digital resources, including grower webinars.

To support this voting process, key resources – primarily the Information Pack – are readily accessible online, at the GPA website. HERE

Picture: GPA Southern Grower Director and RD&E spokesperson, Andrew Weidemann AM.

GPA Chair, Barry Large, said the voting process on the review proposal was scheduled to close 5pm tomorrow (Friday 24 July 2025) – meaning there was limited time remaining, to cast votes.

“This consultation process is open to every grain producer, asking for feedback on the essential premise of GPA’s review process – are grain levy-rates are fit-for-purpose?” he said.

“We’re asking growers to vote directly on this proposal, and have your say now, while you still can.”

Mr Large said to make the proposal as widely accessible as possible, GPA also wanted growers to share the poll link with other growers, urging them to have their say and vote.

“It’s not compulsory to vote, but all growers can have their say. We everyone to vote now and share your views in this consultation process, while there’s still time,” he said.

Mr Large said the proactive changes outlined in the GPA levy review proposal aimed to make the system fairer and more equitable, with better balance and mix of grower-led investments.

That includes industry capacity to strengthen biosecurity protections with grower levy funds, he said.

“The recent detection of Khapra on imported goods in baby nappies at Woolworths is a timely reminder that we need to do even more to protect our industry from escalating biosecurity risks,” he said.

“We can’t afford to sit on our hands and wait for a disaster to occur first – it needs to happen today.”

Mr Large said this levy review process was an essential function of GPA’s legislated roles and responsibilities, representing all grain growers, at national level.

GPA Southern Grower Director and RD&E spokesperson, Andrew Weidemann AM, said any business – whether growing grain, producing livestock or selling chemicals or other farm inputs – knows the best time to adjust financial strategies, is when there’s money in the bank.

“The right time to make changes is when there’s a financial surplus – not when your business is facing deficits and forced into cutting costs,” he said.

“That’s where the Australian grains industry is at today and we need to recognise we’re in a very strong position, to make proactive changes.

“That’s been the crux of GPA’s levy review process, looking at how to optimise value across the entire system – not isolated to activities and investments, for only component of the levy.

“GPA is asking all growers to have their say, to finalise the review’s consultation processes. Now’s the time to vote on the proposal HERE and share views, while you still can.”

GPA Chief Executive, Colin Bettles, said flexibility was vital to the levy-system’s longevity. But warned against it being captured by a ‘set-and forget’ mentality, that can potentially lead to its future demise.

“Advocating no changes in defence of the status quo, based on only one component of the grain levy, indicates serious loss of objectivity and foresight. This bias extends to loss of objectivity for the bigger picture of the grains industry, while conveniently ignoring the levy system’s history,” he said.

“If history has taught us anything, it’s that levy rates can be adjusted. These are intended to go up or down as needed, responding to the Australian grains industry’s current needs and priorities. This has occurred previously, but the last change was made in 2008, and a lot’s changed since then.

“The substantial question of this levy review process has been – are levy-rates fit-for-purpose? Many changes have occurred in the past 17-years, not just in the grains sector but across the globe.

“That’s why GPA’s review has actively challenged assumptions about the system, focused on long-termer term considerations and wholistic changes, rather than narrow, short-term thinking or emotive reactions, based on catastrophising. Now’s the time to be brave and ambitious with changes to optimise the system’s potential, not to be stranded and captured by fearmongering.”

An analysis article outlining these key points was published, after the levy poll commended HERE

Some will have you believe if rates are reduced, ‘We'll all be rooned’. But that’s a bit like arguing against having a reverse gear in your vehicle or no steering wheel, accelerator or brakes.

Ultimately, it’s about having a balanced system that does the job right and giving growers a say on what they pay is only fair and reasonable.

Growers can express their views directly to the consultation process by voting in the poll that’s being conducted for GPA by Australian Regional Insights. Data analysis and reporting will be conducted by ARI, with all results presented in a non-identifiable, aggregated format. The survey length is expected to take 3-5 minutes and is being made available digitally, to ensure the widest possible consultations. All information will be collected and securely handled by ARI in accordance with Australian privacy legislation.

ENDS