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The Federal Government has reversed its position on a statutory authority to oversee Australia's quarantine system. The Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce announced on Thursday that the government will legislate for an independent, statutory Inspector General for Biosecurity, despite saying for months that that wasn't necessary. Labor says it's an embarrassing backdown for the government, that only goes part-way to meeting the Beale Review recommendations. Read more here.
Topics: trade, pests, federal-government, agribusiness, agricultural-crops, agricultural-policy, quarantine, pest-management, parliament-house-2600
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| UpdatedAustralia will have an independent body to oversee its quarantine system, after the Federal Government reversed its stance on a statutory Inspector General of Biosecurity.
Topics: pests, rural, agribusiness, agricultural-policy, pest-management, quarantine, parliament-house-2600
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| UpdatedFarmers and miners have broadly supported changes to the 457 visa program for skilled foreign workers.
Topics: mining-rural, farm-labour, work, federal-government, government-and-politics, melbourne-3000, parliament-house-2600
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A Senate inquiry report into the government's proposed Biosecurity Bill has split along party lines over the Inspector General of Biosecurity.
Topics: pests, federal-government, agricultural-crops, agricultural-policy, livestock, pest-management, quarantine, parliament-house-2600
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Medicines Australia Chairman Dr Martin Cross addresses the National Press Club in Canberra on health policies and medicine.
Topics: doctors-and-medical-professionals, medical-research, federal-government, canberra-2600, act, parliament-house-2600
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| UpdatedThe education minister Christopher Pyne says he has done everything he can to ensure the passage of the higher education reforms, saying it's too important to give up.
Topics: university-and-further-education, federal-government, federal-parliament, australia, parliament-house-2600
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| UpdatedThere is concern from within both major parties that Hansard, the official record of Parliament, is being substantially altered.
Topics: federal-parliament, parliament-house-2600
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Topics: agricultural-policy, federal-parliament, parliament-house-2600
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| UpdatedThe Agriculture Department secretary Paul Grimes has stepped down, amid growing speculation that his relationship with Minister Barnaby Joyce had irreparably deteriorated.
Topics: federal-government, government-and-politics, public-sector, agribusiness, agricultural-policy, parliament-house-2600
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The National Farmers Federation is backing the minimum wage, but calling for an increase in enterprise bargaining for the ag sector. In its submission to the Productivity Commission's workplace relations review, the farm lobby also makes the case for reducing the three-hour minimum engagement rule to two hours. The NFF's workplace relations manager Sarah McKinnon says moves like that will allow farmers to keep workers employed, and allow farmers and farm workers to do what works for them. Read more here.
Topics: agribusiness, agricultural-policy, farm-labour, parliament-house-2600
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| UpdatedThe National Farmers' Federation wants reforms to increase enterprise bargaining in the agriculture sector.
Topics: work, agribusiness, agricultural-policy, farm-labour, parliament-house-2600
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| UpdatedTopics: food-and-beverage, trade, food-safety, fruit, vegetables, food-processing, livestock, burnie-7320, parliament-house-2600
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| UpdatedThe Federal Industry Minister says plans for new country of origin labels are taking shape, and he is confident the government's reform attempt will succeed.
Topics: food-and-beverage, trade, food-safety, fruit, vegetables, food-processing, livestock, burnie-7320, parliament-house-2600
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The Group of 8 'sandstone' universities say research into crop diseases and extreme weather are among the projects at risk, if the government's tertiary deregulation plans fail.
Topics: wheat, agricultural-crops, vegetables, fruit, agricultural-policy, livestock, research, research-organisations, parliament-house-2600
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The first national nutrition survey in 15 years has found a significant majority of Australians still aren't getting enough calcium.
Topics: food-and-beverage, diet-and-nutrition, health-policy, mens-health, womens-health, food-processing, dairy-production, parliament-house-2600
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| UpdatedThe Federal Government says it will introduce legislation to cap water buybacks in the Murray-Darling, but only if Labor first guarantees its support.
Topics: environmentally-sustainable-business, regional-development, regional, environmental-impact, environmental-policy, environmental-management, murray-darling-basin, water, water-management, water-supply, agricultural-policy, community-development, irrigation, parliament-house-2600
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Australia is now screening imports of canned and preserved fruit for lead and tin contamination. SPC Ardmona says it provided evidence to the government a year ago, that some imported tinned fruit had higher-than-acceptable lead levels. Food Standards Australia New Zealand has defended its response, saying its investigations showed canned fruit imports were a potential compliance issue, but not a human health concern. Read more here.
Topics: food-and-beverage, trade, food-safety, agribusiness, agricultural-prices, fruit, agricultural-policy, quarantine, parliament-house-2600
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The chief executive of Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Steve McHutcheon talks to ABC Rural's Anna Vidot about canned fruit contamination concerns, and whether Australia's complex food safety regulatory system needs reform. Read more here.
Topics: food-and-beverage, trade, food-safety, agribusiness, agricultural-prices, fruit, agricultural-policy, quarantine, parliament-house-2600
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| UpdatedAustralia has started testing canned and preserved fruit imports for lead and tin contamination, after a local processor raised concerns earlier this week.
Topics: food-and-beverage, trade, food-safety, agribusiness, agricultural-prices, fruit, agricultural-policy, quarantine, parliament-house-2600, shepparton-3630
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| UpdatedAgriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce says Australia will increase testing of imported processed peaches this week, after processor SPC raised lead contamination concerns.
Topics: trade, agricultural-policy, fruit, food-processing, food-safety, food-and-beverage, parliament-house-2600
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The Treasurer's decision to allow meat processing giant JBS to buy smallgoods manufacturer Primo, has put the consolidation of red meat processing in Australia on the national agenda. The Treasurer imposed conditions on the sale, which are designed to reassure NSW farmers' concerns. But Nationals Senator John Williams says the whole episode shows that Australian competition law desperately needs reform. Read more here.
Topics: beef-cattle, food-and-beverage, agribusiness, food-processing, pig-production, parliament-house-2600, scone-2337
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| UpdatedAgriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce says he "can understand" why Treasurer Joe Hockey didn't veto the sale of smallgoods manufacturer Primo to global meat processing giant JBS.
Topics: beef-cattle, food-and-beverage, agribusiness, food-processing, pig-production, parliament-house-2600, scone-2337
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Some overseas investors are asking for clarity about the government's new foreign investment rules and how they might be affected, although observers say the reaction has been "mild". The Federal Government's new rules for scrutiny of foreign investment in farmland took effect this week, but the picture for agribusiness investment remains unclear. Read more here.
Topics: agribusiness, agricultural-prices, agricultural-policy, parliament-house-2600
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| UpdatedSome overseas investors are questioning how the Federal Government's foreign investment changes will affect them, but observers say reaction so far has been "mild".
Topics: agribusiness, agricultural-prices, agricultural-policy, parliament-house-2600
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Rural doctors say the government's decision to dump its proposed Medicare copayment is good news for patient, but it's now ramping up a new campaign to unfreeze the indexation on the Medicare rebate paid to GPs. The Rural Doctors' Association of Australia president, Dr Dennis Pashen is speaking to ABC Rural's Anna Vidot. More here.
Topics: regional, doctors-and-medical-professionals, health-policy, healthcare-facilities, community-development, rural, parliament-house-2600