Ongoing drought conditions are causing a critical fodder shortage in Victoria. The Victorian Government has introduced a free, streamlined permit service and drought freight network to support farmers importing fodder from other states while protecting the state from biosecurity threats.

Key Measures:

• Victorian Drought Freight Network:

  • Allows loads of up to 84 tonnes on key freight routes in southwest Victoria.

  • Aims to ease bulk transport to central pick-up points for farmers.

  • Developed with Department of Transport and Planning, Victorian Farmers Federation, and Livestock and Rural Transport Association of Victoria.

• Permit Requirements:

  • NT & Tasmania: No permit required.

  • QLD & NSW (RIFA zones): Must source outside pest zones or obtain plant health certificate + apply for Plant Biosecurity Permit (PBP).

  • WA: Similar requirements for green snail zones.

  • SA & NSW (non-risk zones): No extra permit needed if sourced outside pest zones.

  • Application assessed within 2 working days; permit and inspection are free.

• Pests of Concern:

  • Annual ryegrass toxicity (QLD, WA, SA, NSW)

  • Green snail (WA)

  • Red imported fire ant, electric ant (QLD, some NSW)

• Biosecurity Tips:

  • Source from reputable suppliers.

  • Feed out in confined areas to limit spread of weeds.

  • Monitor feed-out sites and control weeds early.

  • Use commodity vendor declarations to ensure fodder safety.

Application Process:

Fill out the PBP form.

Email to market.access@agriculture.vic.gov.au.

Agriculture Victoria will respond within 2 business days.

Permit and conditions will be issued if requirements are met.

For further assistance, call 136 186 or email market.access@agriculture.vic.gov.au.

The On-farm Kangaroo Control Rebate Program provides $1.8 million in financial assistance to drought-affected Victorian farmers to manage eastern and western grey kangaroo populations. The program supports farmers facing fodder competition by covering costs for professional kangaroo control under an Authority to Control Wildlife (ATCW).

Key Measures:

• Rebates of up to $450 per farm per claim, with up to 3 claims allowed.

• Farmers must contribute at least 25% of the total cost.

• Fast-tracked ATCW permit processing by the Conservation Regulator.

• Funding available until 30 June 2026 or until funds are exhausted.

Eligibility:

• Must own, share, or lease a primary production business in Victoria.

• Hold a current ABN and a valid ATCW.

• Use an accredited professional harvester authorised by the Game Management Authority (no tag purchase required).

Funding Covers:

• Fees for authorised professional harvesters

• Related costs such as travel and ammunition

• On-farm disposal expenses

Application Process:

Review the rebate program guidelines.

Apply for an ATCW (if not already held).

Engage an accredited harvester through Services Victoria.

Complete the online rebate application form.

Submit ATCW and cost documentation.

For assistance: kangaroorebate@agriculture.vic.gov.au.

The Duties and Fees Relief Package provides over $10 million in fee waivers and duty pauses to support Victorian primary producers affected by drought. Key measures include:

• Livestock: Pause on livestock duties (cattle, sheep, goats, pigs) from 1 Oct 2025 – 30 Sep 2026; no processing fees for NLIS tag orders until 30 Jun 2026; other fees unchanged.

• Beekeeping: Fee relief on beekeeper registrations (2 years) and waiver of movement certificate fees (including travel) between 1 Oct 2025 – 30 Jun 2026.

• Plant Biosecurity: Waiver of arrangement, audit, inspection, and travel fees for nursery and horticulture producers from 1 Oct 2025.

• Horticulture & Cropping Food Safety: Registration fees waived for 12 drought-affected LGAs in southwest Victoria from 1 Oct 2025; no audit fees until Feb 2027; 50% reduction statewide.

• Dairy Food Safety: Automatic licence fee discounts applied through manufacturers.

• Meat Industry (PrimeSafe): Relief payments for drought-affected licence holders with a PIC; determined through EOI.

This program is delivered by Agriculture Victoria in partnership with Dairy Food Safety Victoria, PrimeSafe, and the State Revenue Office.

Eligible LGAs: Ararat, Moyne, Colac Otway, Pyrenees, Corangamite, Southern Grampians, Glenelg, Surf Coast, Golden Plains, Warrnambool, Greater Geelong, West Wimmera (specific postcodes).

First Home Guarantee (FHG) – Key Points

The government is bringing forward its plan, so that from 1 October 2025 all eligible first home buyers will be able to access the First Home Guarantee scheme with only a 5% deposit.

What is the First Home Guarantee (FHG)?

• The FHG allows eligible first home buyers to purchase a property with a deposit as low as 5% without paying Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI).
• The government provides a guarantee to the lender, making it easier for first home buyers to enter the property market.
• Applies to both new and existing residential properties.

Key Changes from 1 October 2025

• Deposit as low as 5% with no LMI
• No income caps – available to all eligible first home buyers
• Unlimited places – no annual limit on participants
• Property price caps have been increased across all major capital cities

New Property Price Caps (Effective 1 October 2025)

Note: For new builds with vacant land and separate building contracts, the combined land purchase price and build cost must be equal to or below the relevant price cap.

Example – $700,000 Property in Melbourne

• Deposit required: $35,000 (5%)
• Loan amount: $665,000
• No LMI payable (saving approx. $25,000–$30,000)

What Properties Are Eligible?

• Existing homes (house, unit, townhouse, apartment)
• New builds – house & land packages, off-the-plan, or vacant land with a building contract
• Must be for owner-occupation (not an investment property)

Other Victorian / State Support (in addition to FHG)

• First Home Owner Grant (FHOG): $10,000 for new homes valued up to $750,000
• Stamp Duty Relief:
  • Full exemption for first homes up to $600,000
  • Concessions for homes $600,000–$750,000

A recent Federal Court decision “FWO v Coles and FWO v Woolworths” has highlighted the need to ensure Employers understand their legal obligations when employing staff.

An “award” employee’s pay and conditions are governed by a Modern Award, providing minimum rates, penalty rates, and allowances for specific industries and jobs.

Some employers choose to pay their staff a “salary”. Under a salary an employee receives a fixed annual package, which must compensate for their award entitlements. This is known as an annualised wage agreement.

An annualised wage is where an employer pays their employee a fixed regular amount each pay period over a year. Paying an employee an annualised wage is an alternative to paying them an hourly wage for each hour worked in a pay period.

Compliance Requirements

There are specific requirements for compliance when paying an annualised salary which will be documented in the employees applicable award.

Awards usually provide that an annualised wage has to be reviewed every 12 months or when the arrangement or employment ends, if this is before the end of the 12-month period.

The review is to check if the employee was paid at least what they would have been entitled to under the award, for the hours worked, if they hadn’t been paid the annualised wage.

When reviewing the annualised wage, if the total amount the employee was paid in that period was less than what they would have been paid under the award, the employee must be paid the difference.

👉 Fair Work Reference

Salary vs Award

Regardless of how an employee is paid, it is critical for Employers to understand that even though a Salary is set for a role and has been agreed to, the employee is still entitled to be no worse off that had they been paid according to their award.
There are very few exceptions to this.

The majority of employees in Australia are governed by an award. The exception being a handful of professional type roles (Accountant, HR, Executive Managers for example) that are considered award free.

For example: A Facility manager of a Transport Distribution Facility is covered by the Road Transport and Distribution Award 2020 as the award specifically includes a role classification that would cover the majority of their work.

Therefore, based on their actual hours worked the employee on a salary can be no worse off than if they had been paid the award rates with all the applicable entitlements, allowances, penalty rates.

Contracts vs Entitlements

Having a contract with an employee does NOT override or exclude award entitlements.

Entitlements may be specific allowances, shift penalties, overtime penalties, leave loading and other role specific entitlements.

A contract can’t make employees worse off than their minimum legal entitlements. This means that the entitlements in the award that applies to them, and the entitlements in the NES, keep applying, even if they sign a contract that gives them less.

It is timely to conduct regular review on your staff contracts, salaries and arrangements to ensure continued compliance.