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Department of Agriculture

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  2. About us
  3. What we do
  4. Our responsibilities and legislation

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  • What we do
    • Public consultations
    • Our responsibilities and legislation

Our responsibilities and legislation

We support our ministers to exercise powers under Australian law.

Our secretary and employees exercise any delegated legal powers. The secretary and some employees also have their own, non-delegated powers.

Find all laws we administer and matters relating to us in the Administrative Arrangements Order.

Our responsibilities

We are responsible for matters relating to:

  • agricultural, pastoral, fishing, food and forest industries
  • soils and other natural resources
  • rural adjustment and drought issues
  • rural industries inspection and quarantine
  • primary industries research including economic research
  • commodity marketing, including export promotion and agribusiness
  • commodity-specific international organisations and activities
  • administration of international commodity agreements
  • administration of export controls on agricultural, fisheries and forestry industries products
  • food security policy and programmes
  • food processing industry policy
  • biosecurity, in relation to animals and plants

Laws and powers

We administer these laws on behalf of our ministers:

  • Agricultural and Veterinary Chemical Products (Collection of Levy) Act 1994
  • Agricultural and Veterinary Chemical Products Levy Imposition (Customs) Act 1994
  • Agricultural and Veterinary Chemical Products Levy Imposition (Excise) Act 1994
  • Agricultural and Veterinary Chemical Products Levy Imposition (General) Act 1994
  • Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Act 1994
  • Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Administration) Act 1992
  • Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Code Act 1994
  • Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Legislation Amendment Act 2013
  • Australian Animal Health Council (Live-stock Industries) Funding Act 1996
  • Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry Act 1997
  • Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry (Repeals and Consequential Provisions) Act 1997
  • Biological Control Act 1984
  • Biosecurity Act 2015, except to the extent administered by the Health Minister
  • Biosecurity Charges Imposition (Customs) Act 2015
  • Biosecurity Charges Imposition (Excise) Act 2015
  • Biosecurity Charges Imposition (General) Act 2015
  • Biosecurity (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Act 2015, except to the extent administered by the Health Minister
  • Dairy Adjustment Levy Termination Act 2008
  • Dairy Industry Adjustment Act 2000
  • Dairy Industry Service Reform Act 2003
  • Dairy Produce Act 1986
  • Egg Industry Service Provision Act 2002
  • Egg Industry Service Provision (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Act 2002
  • Export Charges (Imposition—Customs) Act 2015
  • Export Charges (Imposition—Excise) Act 2015
  • Export Charges (Imposition—General) Act 2015
  • Export Control Act 2020
  • Export Control (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Act 2020 
  • Farm Household Support Act 2014
  • Farm Household Support Amendment (Additional Drought Assistance Measures) Act 2008
  • Farm Household Support (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Act 2014
  • Fisheries Administration Act 1991
  • Fisheries Agreements (Payments) Act 1991
  • Fisheries Legislation Amendment (New Governance Arrangements for the Australian Fisheries Management Authority and Other Matters) Act 2008
  • Fisheries Legislation (Consequential Provisions) Act 1991
  • Fisheries Levy Act 1984
  • Fisheries Management Act 1991
  • Fisheries (Validation of Plans of Management) Act 2004
  • Fishing Levy Act 1991
  • Foreign Fishing Licences Levy Act 1991
  • Forestry Marketing and Research and Development Services Act 2007
  • Grape and Wine Legislation Amendment (Australian Grape and Wine Authority) Act 2013
  • Horse Disease Response Levy Act 2011
  • Horse Disease Response Levy Collection Act 2011
  • Horticulture Marketing and Research and Development Services Act 2000
  • Horticulture Marketing and Research and Development Services (Repeals and Consequential Provisions) Act 2000
  • Household Stimulus Package Act (No. 2) 2009, Schedule 4, insofar as it relates to legislation administered by the Agriculture Minister
  • Illegal Logging Prohibition Act 2012
  • Imported Food Charges (Collection) Act 2015
  • Imported Food Charges (Imposition—Customs) Act 2015
  • Imported Food Charges (Imposition—Excise) Act 2015
  • Imported Food Charges (Imposition—General) Act 2015
  • Imported Food Control Act 1992
  • Inspector-General of Live Animal Exports Act 2019 
  • National Cattle Disease Eradication Account Act 1991
  • National Residue Survey Administration Act 1992
  • National Residue Survey (Consequential Provisions) Act 1992
  • National Residue Survey (Customs) Levy Act 1998
  • National Residue Survey (Excise) Levy Act 1998
  • National Residue Survey Levies Regulations (Validation and Commencement of Amendments) Act 1999
  • Natural Resources Management (Financial Assistance) Act 1992
  • Pig Industry Act 2001
  • Pig Industry (Transitional Provisions) Act 1986
  • Plant Health Australia (Plant Industries) Funding Act 2002
  • Primary Industries (Customs) Charges Act 1999
  • Primary Industries (Excise) Levies Act 1999
  • Primary Industries (Excise) Levies (GST Consequential Amendments) Act 2000
  • Primary Industries Levies and Charges Collection Act 1991
  • Primary Industries Research and Development Act 1989
  • Regional Forest Agreements Act 2002
  • Regional Investment Corporation Act 2018
  • Rural Adjustment Act 1992
  • Statutory Fishing Rights Charge Act 1991
  • Sugar Research and Development Services Act 2013
  • Torres Strait Fisheries Act 1984
  • United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Act 1944
  • Wheat Export Marketing Amendment Act 2012
  • Wine Australia Act 2013
  • Wool International Act 1993
  • Wool International Privatisation Act 1999
  • Wool Services Privatisation Act 2000
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Last updated: 26 June 2022

© Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.