Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

I do want to thank the member opposite for contributing to the debate. I'm not sure that I can say I agree with everything he said, because I don't. But I say that this important bill, the Export Control Amendment (Clarifying Obligations Relating to Registered Establishments) Bill 2026, will reduce regulatory burden for Australian export businesses by ensuring that export operations can be carried out at registered establishments without needing to be included in the registration unless it's a prescribed export condition.

The act currently requires that all operations for prescribed goods at a registered establishment must be included in its registration. This includes operations that do not otherwise require registration, creating excessive regulatory burden for Australian exporters. The bill will remove this requirement, allowing industry to produce and prepare multiple types of products at a registered establishment if those products meet all of the requirements for exports.

This bill also broadens the scope of what documents the government can issue under the act to support trade. This ensures that the government can better support Australia's market access by providing the assurances required by our trading partners. These amendments support the Australian government's export assurance reform project. These reforms will strengthen the regulatory oversight of certain goods that are not currently prescribed for the purposes of the export control legislation, including wool, honey, pet food, skins and hides, rendered goods, pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, stock feed and feed additives.

The bill underpins the government's commitment to support the growth of Australia's agriculture sector. It increases the efficiency and the effectiveness of our export regulatory system, and it paves the way for broader reform across a range of non-prescribed goods. I commend the bill to the chamber.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

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