Government should slash red tape

The Federal Government delivered its budget this week, facing the challenges of a mounting deficit, the global economic crisis and the need to balance policy settings to give an indication of the economic outlook for Australia over the coming 2-3 years. The new round of commitments to infrastructure projects is a welcome move.

One gets the feeling that like health care, a government could never spend too much money on roads and water infrastructure. The Federal Government’s stated commitment to protecting jobs in the current economic climate is understandable, and will need to be supported by a focus on keeping businesses competitive and viable.

In the areas of cost savings, the time is right for government to focus on both reducing red tape and harmonising regulations across the States so as to cut costs for both business and the government alike.

While more time is required to review and digest the implications of the budget, it is clear that the current economic conditions are going to have ongoing ramifications in reshaping Australia’s economy into the future.

From the perspective of the fresh produce industry, global economic events, state and federal budgetary processes and the recent changes in senior personnel within a number of leading grower representative organisations, creates an environment where the industry would benefit from more dialogue.

In this regard, the forthcoming Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Connections Conference in Sydney in late May will provide a great opportunity to hear from some top line speakers and network with colleagues from around Australia.

At a State level, Brismark and BML will be seeking support from other industry representative organisations for a get-together over the coming months to provide the opportunity for an update on industry issues and to review those areas where opportunities exist for greater collaboration.