Gillard Government announces plan for better regulation of pesticides

The Federal labour government has recognised that the system of agricultural and veterinary chemicals (AgVets) regulation Australia is broken.

If re-elected, a Gillard Labour Government would reform the regulation agricultural and veterinary chemicals (AgVets) to ‘better protect human health and the environment’ and to ‘cut red tape for farmers and business and encourage the development of modern, cleaner and greener chemicals’.

Proposed reforms include:

• Deliver a more efficient way to review chemicals of concern – using the most up-to-date international research more effectively and making it easier for the APVMA to initiate that process.
• Put the onus on chemical companies to prove their products remain safe at regular intervals – bringing Australia into line with most regulators in the United States and Europe.
• If chemicals are banned in a comparable market overseas, trigger a process for review of domestic use of the chemical.
• Allow the science used in approvals in comparable markets overseas to be considered in applications for Australian use.
• Start the clock ticking on chemicals which are on the market in Australia but have been banned in a comparable market overseas – meaning they will be de-registered within set timeframes unless they meet the new requirements.
• Deliver a risk management framework to match the level of regulation with the level of risk and focus resources on the higher risk products. This will also allow approvals of new, safer chemicals to be fast-tracked.
• Boost the APVMA’s funding by $8.75 million over the forward estimates and by about $20 million over five years to 2015-16, ahead of a planned move to greater cost recovery from 2012-13.
• Establish an Independent Science Panel to report annually on the APVMA’s progress in reducing the backlog of chemical reviews and assessing chemicals efficiently, according to risk.

What you can do

Email Minister Tony Burke today and let him know what you think of the proposed reforms Tony.Burke.MP@aph.gov.au

Phone Minister Tony Burke, the Minister responsible for the APVMA, at his electoral office on (02) 9553 3800

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