A MAJOR overhaul of red tape surrounding agricultural and veterinary chemicals in Australia will be implemented by the Labor government, Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced this week.
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"We need a major overhaul, to transform a cumbersome system into a cutting-edge system which is better for the environment, better for human health, helps to make Australia more globally competitive and supports jobs," Ms Gillard said in a statement.
She promised to deliver on reforms to cut red tape for farmers and business and encourage the development of modern, cleaner, greener and safer chemicals.
The regulation of agricultural and veterinary chemicals in Australia is overseen by the independent Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA).
"Inefficiencies in the system have led to a backlog of chemicals requiring review and a disincentive for companies to invest in cutting-edge Australian technology," Ms Gillard said.
Reform would include a more efficient and up-to-date system to review chemicals of concern, and shifting the onus to chemical companies to regularly prove their products are safe.
The reforms would bring Australia more in line with international policies and knowledge and would ultimately allow approvals of new, safer chemicals to be fast-tracked.
The proposal includes establishing an Independent Science Panel to report annually on the APVMA's progress in reducing the backlog of chemical reviews and assessing chemicals efficiently.
Ms Gillard said Australia was "losing out" on access to chemicals that could provide a competitive advantage because of "red tape and inefficiencies".
