LEADER of The Nationals, David Littleproud, said a future Coalition Government will provide $2.5 million over three years for farm safety, by supporting Farmsafe Australia and the delivery of the National Farm Safety Education Fund Strategy.
Mr Littleproud said he was proud to announce the critical funding, which would protect and save more lives on the farm.
“Agriculture consistently ranks as one of the most dangerous industries to work in,” Mr Littleproud said.
“In 2024, 72 lives were lost and 133 serious injuries were recorded, which is more than double those recorded in 2023.
“The Coalition supports the lives and livelihood of Australian farmers. We must protect the people who put food on the table and clothes on our back. The agriculture industry will only continue to grow if it is safe.”
The farm safety strategy will be delivered in three crucial ways: Education and awareness to develop and disseminate educational materials on safety practices; community engagement to facilitate conversations between farming families, industry and government, to ensure a coordinated effort; and a national campaign across various media channels to promote farm safety.
Tasmanian beef farmer and Farmsafe Australia chair Felicity Richards described the funding as “absolutely phenomenal”.
“This funding will enable Farmsafe Australia to continue to build industry momentum and deliver campaigns and initiatives that embed safer practices in agriculture, which ultimately saves lives in our farming communities,” Mrs Richards said.
“We know farmers are facing increasing pressure all the time, from weather events like droughts and floods, market pressures and other competing priorities that are often not within their control.
“It’s so easy for farmers to say ‘I just have to get the job done’ but you can’t finish a job from a hospital bed. Safety has to be the first priority.
“We need to build a culture of safety and the only way to do that is with sustained campaigns and impactful messages.
“We can’t do it without support, which is why this funding is so critically important,” she said.
Improving safety outcomes on farms will also help address critical workforce shortages by attracting more workers to the industry, helping the agriculture industry achieve its goal of $100 billion by 2030.
