On The Land
28 March, 2026
Call for tax relief for producers in disaster zones
A KEY lobby group for horticultural producers is asking the State Government to introduce temporary payroll tax relief for primary producers in declared disaster zones, saying the measure would provide an immediate boost to farm cashflow and help growers recover faster.
Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers (QFVG) chief executive officer Scott Kompo-Harms said the organisation welcomed the speed at which disaster assistance had been activated in recent weeks, but said there was an opportunity to strengthen the system further with targeted payroll tax relief.
“We want to acknowledge the Queensland Government for moving quickly to activate disaster assistance following the recent run of severe weather events,” he said.
“Queensland is the most disaster-prone state in Australia. A responsive disaster recovery framework is critical for growers trying to get back on their feet.”
Mr Kompo-Harms said with large parts of the state now disaster-declared following multiple weather events, many horticulture businesses were facing a challenging combination of crop losses, infrastructure damage, rising fuel costs, and ongoing labour expenses.
“In these moments, cashflow becomes the single biggest factor determining how quickly a farm can recover,” he said.
“That’s why payroll tax relief is such a practical solution. It’s a policy lever government already controls, and it can be implemented far more quickly than many other support mechanisms.”
Payroll tax applies to businesses whose total Australian wages exceed $1.3 million annually – a threshold many medium-sized horticulture businesses reach due to seasonal labour requirements.
QFVG is calling for targeted payroll tax relief for affected agricultural businesses, including a temporary 12-month exemption and a grower-declared three-month pause in obligations.
“Every dollar that stays in a grower’s business during recovery helps keep people employed, supports replanting and repairs, and reduces the need to take on additional debt just to get operations moving again,” Mr Kompo-Harms said.
“This isn’t about special treatment. It’s about ensuring policy settings reflect the realities of farming and the unique challenges horticulture businesses face during disaster recovery.”
