Most welcomed the announcement yesterday that the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) would remain in Armidale, but in a fiery rebuttal, Member for New England Barnaby Joyce has expressed his great disappointment in the Albanese Government’s lack of commitment to regional Australia.
Federal Agriculture Minister, Murray Watt, announced yesterday that the regulator of ag and vet chemical regulator would retain its headquarters in Armidale, however it would revoke the government policy order that required APVMA staff to be based in Armidale.
“What we have seen here is a classic Labour approach of doing a backdoor shutdown of the APVMA,” said Mr Joyce.
“They’re going to strangle the APVMA by stealth.”
The reasoning behind moving the APVMA to Armidale was an effort to decentralise the Federal Government’s Canberra-centric ideology, to distribute the wealth of Government jobs through regional and rural areas and to be able to better understand industry requirements by working directly with stakeholders.
“(The Government) has said that other parts of Australia were entitled to the largess of the taxpayer by having those well-paying jobs in other regional areas,” Mr Joyce said.
“We need money spent in other parts of Australia.”
While Minister Watts did confirm the APVMA headquarters would remain in Armidale, he wouldn’t confirm whether the CEO would be based in Armidale or Canberra. Mr Joyce questioned the appointment of Executive positions with no compulsion to operate within the Department walls, and how that would strengthen the functionality of the Authority.
“Why, of the 14 higher executive positions appointed last year, did 13 of them go to Canberra?”
Minister Watt said yesterday that removing the order for staff to be based in Armidale brings the APVMA in line with every other Federal agency and recognises the fact that a large number of current APVMA staff are not based in Armidale.
“(Minister Watt) complains about me decentralising out of Canberra, but delivers nothing to rural and regional areas,” Mr Joyce said.
“They shut down the Dungowan Dam, they shut down the Inland Rail, they put the New England Highway ‘under review’, and now they are strangling the APVMA.”
Asked about the cultural and governance issues which brought about the review, Mr Joyce said ”These are the things competent people fix. That’s what management, and good Government, is about.”
” You don’t fix a building by burning it down.
“Another thing the report says is that APVMA is too close to stakeholders. That’s what APVMA is supposed to do, they are supposed to understand the stakeholders.
“This is where the agricultural industry is, the University of New England with Rural Sciences and the CSIRO, all here. But they say it is more appropriate it is in Canberra?”
While the Federal Government has decided against further disruptions by retaining the Head Office in Armidale, a further concern is whether operating out of two locations will be cost effective and efficient into the future.
National Farmers Federation Chief Executive Officer Tony Mahar said it was imperative to the farm sector the APVMA gets back on track, and that incorporating the Rapid Evaluation report into the Authority’s future structure and governance was a step in the right direction.
“Any reforms to the APVMA must seek to ensure a genuinely fit-for-purpose and efficient regulatory environment that manage risk without hindering access to safe technologies,” said Mr Mahar.
The NFF has long expressed reservations about the relocation of the APVMA to Armidale.
“We 100% support building stronger regions, but regional development must be strategic and part of an evidence-driven plan to build the entire economy.
“The NFF supports the Minister’s decision against relocating the APVMA back to Canberra. Reversing the decision would likely only cause further negative impacts for the organisation’s ongoing services and performance.
“It is critical the APVMA manages long term operational costs and risks to ensure that operating out of two offices, in Armidale and Canberra, does not impact the timely delivery of core services.
“Timely access to safe and innovative technologies and agvet chemicals is critical to farm productivity. Any delays to the assessment or registration of products can rake up millions of dollars in preventable crop losses.”
CropLife Australia, the national peak industry organisation for the plant science sector, also welcomes the Government’s initial response to the review into the future structure and governance for the APVMA.
“I commend Minister Watt for taking the appropriate time to ensure a measured and considered response to the Rapid Evaluation Report and making clear commitments to reject the recommendations that would significantly disrupt the APVMA,” said Mr Matthew Cossey, Chief Executive Officer of CropLife Australia.
“While CropLife was one of the most vigorous and loud critics of the relocation of the APVMA to Armidale under the previous government, we support the Minister’s decision not to make the same mistake twice.
“CropLife will continue to work with the Regulator and Federal Government on implementing targeted reforms to see further, genuine operational efficiency improvements at the APVMA so that the Australian farming sector can remain one of the world’s most productive and sustainable,” Mr Cossey said.
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