A commitment to extend Right to Repair reforms to agricultural machinery has been hailed as a historic win by the National Farmers’ Federation
The National Farmers’ Federation has announced it has secured a federal government commitment to extend Right to Repair reforms to agricultural machinery, hailing it as a historic win for farmers and a direct result of years of advocacy.
Following a meeting of state and territory treasurers last week, federal treasurer Jim Chalmers confirmed that agricultural machinery will be included in national Right to Repair reforms designed to modernise Australia’s economy and lift productivity.
In a broad sense, Right to Repair laws would enable Australian farmers to have repairs to their agricultural machinery made by independent repairers – rather than just the manufacturer’s single authorised dealer – without voiding their warranty.
The NFF says this reform will see real economic gains for the sector, with modelling by the Productivity Commission showing it could lift agricultural production to $97 million, and greater competition in the repair sector will lead to a $311 million increase to GDP.
NFF president Hamish McIntyre says the announcement was a major breakthrough for farmers delivering much needed competition and productivity uplift.
“Farmers will finally have more freedom to choose who services and repairs their machinery,” he says.
“That means less downtime, lower costs, and more control over their own businesses.
“When a machine breaks down in the middle of harvest, waiting on an authorised dealer isn’t just inconvenient, it can cost tens of thousands of dollars. This reform will help farmers stay productive and competitive, which is exactly what farmers and the economy needs.”
The NFF has led this reform for many years, in partnership with NFF members who formed the NFF’s Right to Repair Taskforce.
The Tractor & Machinery Association of Australia (TMA) has also welcomed the announcement but warns that calls for unrestricted machine modification risk safety, compliance, and productivity.
“We fully support a farmer’s right to repair their own machine and the ability to use third-party repairers,” TMA executive director Gary Northover says.
“What we don’t support is the right to modify machines in ways that may compromise safety, emissions compliance, or global manufacturing standards.”
The TMA has actively sought collaborative solutions to ensure practical access to repair information and tools for farmers and independent service providers.
Northover adds the TMA attempted to establish a Memorandum of Understanding with the NFF, like the agreement reached between the American Farm Bureau Federation and key US manufacturers but was unsuccessful.
“Many of our dealers report that some of their biggest customers are third-party repairers,” he says.
“There simply aren’t enough technicians within dealer networks to service all the machines in the field. Responsible relationships between dealers and independent repairers already exist, and it’s patently inaccurate to say farm machinery can only be repaired by authorised workshops.”