Farmsafe Australia chair Felicity Richards.

A RE-ELECTED Albanese Labor Government will match a Coalition promise to invest $2.5 million into Farmsafe Australia for the next three years.

Almost two weeks after Nationals leader David Littleproud made the initial election promise, Minister for Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry Julie Collins has declared the Albanese Government wanted to support farmers to work safely too.

A statement from Ms Collins’ office today said her government would invest $2.5 million over three years to support Farmsafe Australia to deliver better safety outcomes through the National Farm Safety Education Fund.

FarmSafe chair Felicity Richards said the Coalition’s promise and now Labor’s matching commitment followed a request to both for $2.5M in funding.

She said the organisation had managed to garner up to $10,000 in support over the last two years from several sponsors — the National Farmers Federation, Cotton Australia, Nutrien, WFI and others – some annually.

“To be able to go back to those bodies as well and say, we are now able to leverage your funding and extend the confidence you’ve shown in us with your support, with the government funding is pretty awesome,” Ms Richards said.

Ms Richards said the secured funding will enable the organisation to focus on farm safety programs rather than also source funds and demonstrate value for money.

“It’s really hard to craft the projects to demonstrate that while at the same time you are hustling.”

Ms Richards said Farmsafe Australia’s recently completed strategic plan and its education strategy this would be its guiding documents.

But she said the body had been acting as a facilitator to prioritise gaps in farm safety needs and avoid duplication.

“We’re currently working with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and the Aerial Application Association of Australia to do something on aviation safety in rural settings, because we think there is a gap there.

“We can take the work of the AAAA with advice from CASA and craft something that is nationwide.”

Ms Richards said the organisation wanted to ensure that the $2.5M went toward addressing the ‘gaps’ and uniting organisations nationally to get the most out of the work they are doing in safety, campaigning in a way that speaks “farmer to farmer”.

Ms Collins said the funding will build on the suite of support Labor has already put in place for the agriculture sector across the country.

The investment will build on existing Australian Government funding to Farmsafe Australia of $125,000 annually until 2027 to deliver the Farm Safety Week campaign.

“We know our farmers work hard, and we want to support them to work safely too,” Ms Collins said.

“Farmers know Labor has got their backs, whether that’s on farm or on the world stage.”

Assistant Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Anthony Chisholm, said when he met Ms Richards on her farm in Tassie last year, he was impressed by her passion and Farmsafe’s commitment to improving safety standards on Australian farms.

“The statistics aren’t just bad, they’re getting worse,” Mr Chisholm said.

“We can’t just ignore this.

“We need to improve standards right across the country and this investment in Farmsafe Australia is a great start.

“The Labor Party was born in Queensland’s agricultural region, and we’ll always be the party you can trust to protect workers across all industries.”

Data released by AgriFutures Australia shows a concerning rise in on-farm fatalities and serious injuries, with 72 lives lost and 133 serious injuries recorded in 2024.

Recent findings from SafeWork NSW echoed this worrying trend, with one in every five worker deaths in NSW recorded in the Ag sector.

Quad bikes, animal handling, biosecurity hazards, tree work and electrical work were identified as some of the most dangerous tasks undertaken by producers.