4 June 2026
The Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF) and its peak body members, CANEGROWERS, Cotton Australia, Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers, eastAUSmilk and Greenlife Industry Queensland, have outlined the top priorities for Queensland agriculture ahead of this year’s state government budget which will be delivered on Tuesday, 23 June.
These priorities include continued support for industry led workforce programs and technology adoption initiatives, the removal or review of tax settings, appropriate rural irrigation water pricing and enhanced biosecurity measures – including a whole of government approach to biosecurity and the continuation of the Fire Ant Suppression Taskforce (FAST) program.
QFF CEO Jo Sheppard said that on the back of a disappointing federal budget for agriculture, Queensland farmers are looking to their state government to uplift dwindling farm business confidence stemming from significant cost pressures, including increases in fuel, fertiliser and labour costs.
“There is a real opportunity for the Queensland Treasurer to deliver a budget that reverses declining business confidence and unlocks greater investment in regional Queensland,” Ms Sheppard said.
Key requests from QFF and its peak body members include the application of genuine Lower Bound pricing for rural irrigation water charges, the removal of stamp duty on crop insurance and similar agricultural income protection insurance policies, and a further investment in the highly regarded industry-led SmartAg Queensland training program.
CANEGROWERS CEO Dan Galligan said that as Australia continues to navigate the global fuel crisis, the budget presents an opportunity for Queensland to progress a biofuel industry that will strengthen domestic fuel security and support regional economies.
“Successive Queensland Governments have discussed a biofuel industry in our state – this current fuel crisis should serve as a catalyst for the Queensland Government to commit to actually supporting it to get off the ground, using crops such as sugarcane,” Mr Galligan said.
Cotton Australia General Manager Michael Murray said that growers would like to see a clear commitment by the Queensland Government to the application of genuine Lower Bound pricing for rural irrigation water charges.
“QFF and Cotton Australia have provided input throughout this year’s Queensland Competition Authority (QCA) Review of RAB-based irrigation prices for the 2027-29 pricing period. As part of the requested commitment for genuine Lower Bound pricing, we specifically ask the Queensland Government to exclude the generation of a Rate of Return,” Mr Murray said.
Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers CEO Scott Kompo-Harms said the Budget presents an opportunity to address regulatory challenges facing horticulture businesses while ensuring government policies better reflect the realities of regional farm operations.
"We are calling on the Queensland Government to review the current regional payroll tax settings to address inequities that do not reflect the operating realities of horticulture businesses. We also support payroll tax exemptions during periods of significant disruption, providing growers with improved cashflow to retain staff and maintain business continuity when production, markets or income are impacted by circumstances beyond their control," Mr Kompo-Harms said.
eastAUSmilk CEO Eric Danzi said that the Queensland Government could go along way to realising the ambitions of the recently launched Queensland Dairy Plan by enabling the industry to unlock innovation across technology and pastures.
“The Dairy Farmers Technology Uptake Program is a proven program with great results to date, so we’d hope to see Treasury recognise this value and extend the program. We’re also asking for investment in pasture improvement initiatives through targeted research and development, recognising the climatic conditions that Queensland dairies are operating in,” Mr Danzi said.
Greenlife Industry Queensland CEO Colin Fruk said that as the Queensland Government ramped up preparations for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic games, Greenlife cannot be an afterthought.
“The Olympics is a major opportunity to strengthen our long-term urban greening benefits well beyond 2032. We need the State Government to be seriously invested in living infrastructure, to create cooler streets, healthier communities and more liveable cities. Olympic cities are grown, not just built,” Mr Fruk said.
QFF and our peak body members will continue to engage with the Queensland Government highlight areas of essential investment and opportunities to unlock greater productivity, profitability and sustainability in Queensland agriculture.
Media contact:
Jak Kirwin
General Manager, Marketing and Communications, QFF
E: comms@qff.org.au
M: 0488 305 106