The Allan Labor Government’s latest State Budget proves once again that regional Victoria and the agricultural sector are not a priority. Labor’s headline announcement of $84 million for agriculture was misleading, with $62 million having already been spent on bushfire recovery, leaving just $22 million in new support for an industry that contributes more than $22 billion annually to Victoria’s economy. The budget effectively delivers a $14.6 million cut to agriculture funding compared to last year, despite farmers continuing to battle rising costs, workforce shortages, biosecurity threats and ongoing seasonal pressures. This cut will be felt strongly across the Ovens Valley, one of Victoria’s most productive agricultural regions, generating almost $600 million in agricultural output each year. Our electorate is home to world-class beef, dairy, sheep, wine, nut and berry producers, as well as one of the largest hop farms in the Southern Hemisphere. Agriculture is the backbone of our local economy and supports thousands of jobs across farming, food processing and agritourism. This is a slap in the face to the farmers and agricultural communities who keep Victoria fed, clothed and economically strong. The government has once again shown its priorities lie in Melbourne, not in the communities and industries that drive regional Victoria. Tim McCurdy, Nationals' MP for Ovens Valley Payday Super only five weeks away The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is urging employers to act now and prepare for Payday Super. With only five weeks left until Payday Super takes effect on 1 July, over half of employers are still not paying super more frequently than quarterly. We are urging employers to act now and prepare so they can start paying super each payday. The transition may require businesses to make changes to some of their processes, but employers who start preparing now can make the transition successfully. Around $6 billion in superannuation is currently unpaid to workers. Payday Super will close this gap by ensuring contributions are paid on time, every time. It’s important to make clear that for most employers, Payday Super won’t change the amount of super you are paying to your employees, just the payment frequency. The change in frequency supports timely reporting to the ATO to make it easier for those who are doing the right thing and harder for those deliberately avoiding paying their employee entitlements. During the first year of Payday Super, the ATO will take a reasonable and practical approach to compliance, supporting businesses to make these payments on payday while focusing enforcement on those who deliberately do the wrong thing. We understand when something is new you might not get it perfect the first time, but it’s important to start, have a go, give yourself as much time as possible to fix any errors as they occur. If we can see employers making effort to move towards the payday model and fixing errors quickly, they won’t be the focus of any compliance actions from the ATO in the first year. More information is available in our practical compliance guideline. Additional information to help employers manage the changeover including on Single Touch Payroll, closure of the Small Business Superannuation Clearing House and reporting timing considerations are available on our website. Emma Rosenzweig, ATO deputy commissioner
