Victoria’s drought-affected farmers will benefit from a host of initiatives aimed to put cash back in their pockets
Victoria’s duties and fee relief package has been rolled out, waiving farming fees over the next financial year to ease financial pressure for drought-affected farmers across the state.
“The duties and fee relief program will put cash back into the pockets of drought-affected farmers to help them manage cashflow challenges,” Victorian agriculture minister Ros Spence says.
“We know these administrative costs can add up and we thank the regulatory bodies and livestock committees working together with us to support farmers during these difficult times.”
As part of the package, livestock duties will be waived in Victoria for the sale of cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs until September 30, 2026.
This means that any producer who would normally be required to pay livestock duties is exempt.
Primary producers will no longer have to pay standard order processing fees for NLIS tags until June 30, 2026, however, the cost of the tags will still be required.
All other livestock fees will be frozen at the same rate as last financial year
Dairy farmers will receive a discount on their 2025-26 licence fees, which will be reflected in their milk payments from dairy manufacturers.
Farmers don’t have to apply, they will receive a refund in their next milk cheque.
Dairy Food Safety Victoria is working directly with manufacturers to apply this discount.
Victoria’s regulator for commercial abattoirs and meat productions, PrimeSafe, will provide drought-affected primary producers with a relief payment if they hold both a PrimeSafe Licence and a Property Identification Code.
Biosecurity Victoria is waiving fees for nursery and horticulture producers for this financial year, including the service fees for arrangement applications, arrangement audits, verification inspections, area and property freedom approvals, and related travel costs.
Other plant biosecurity services fees for 2025-26 will remain at the same rate as 2024-25.
Food safety registration fees will be waived for horticulture and crop producers in the 12 south west Local Government Areas currently experiencing the worst drought conditions – Ararat, Moyne, Colac Otway, Pyrenees, Corangamite, Southern Grampians, Glenelg, Surf Coast, Golden Plains, Warrnambool, City of Greater Geelong and West Wimmera.
For all other primary producers outside these 12 LGAs the fees will be capped at the same rate as 2024-25.