- Wild fuel prices, supply insecurity, tight margins and rising input costs leave farmers and rural businesses exposed.
- Australia must accelerate shift from imported fuel dependence to locally produced, lower‐cost, more resilient energy systems.
- Roadmap recommends fair capping of the Fuel Tax Credit Scheme (FTCS) for biggest claimants; protecting the rebate for farmers and accelerating technology shift.
Press Conference Details:
WHEN: Tuesday 9 June, 10am AWST
WHERE: Tractor Museum of WA, 233A Drumpellier Drive, Whiteman Park WA 6068 (approx. 25 minutes from Perth CBD)
WHO: Farmers for Climate Action CEO Verity Morgan-Schmidt, report author Professor Ray Wills, and farmers available for interview
VISUALS: Conventional farm machinery, retrofit hybrid landcruisers, and EVs on site
Farmers for Climate Action has today released Energy Sovereignty for Regional Australia: Protecting Farmers, Powering the Future: a roadmap for farmers and rural communities to save costs, reduce vulnerability and improve energy security by switching to locally produced, lower-cost energy and sustainable biofuels.
The Roadmap finds:
- Electrification of farm equipment using clean energy generated on farm is one of the biggest opportunities for farmers to reduce costs this generation.
- Electrification in rural and regional Australia is about fuel security, energy sovereignty and practical self‐reliance.
- Exposure to the global diesel supply chain leaves farmers exposed to price spikes that they cannot control.
- Australian farmers are already electrifying irrigation, water pumps, processing machinery; cutting diesel use.
- Shift beyond diesel in heavy industry is underway, with Linfox, Janus Trucks and New Energy Transport already running heavy electric trucks on major trucking routes.
- Sensible tax policy reform, including capping the Fuel Tax Credit Scheme at $50 million per claimant will drive electrification technology, but farmers and associated industries must be protected.
- Farmers need to have access to cheaper and better options over time, not left to absorb high costs and uncertainty.
The roadmap walks through how biofuels can be used as a temporary backup for older tractors, while switching over to electric systems for stationary gear like pumps and cool rooms and, in future, heavy equipment to permanently lower farm running costs.
By using existing government funds to upgrade local transmission and energy storage, Australia can give regional businesses real control over their own power.
Quotes from South Australian grazier, Ellen Litchfield: “We know Australia has already drilled nearly all of its viable oil fields, and the oil that remains isn’t the type we can make diesel or petrol out of.
“The roadmap finds that farmers should be guaranteed access to the diesel fuel rebate, but discount diesel should be capped for the biggest mining companies to protect the financial sustainability of the rebate.”
Quotes from Western Australian mixed farmer, Simon Wallwork: “Generating clean energy on-farm and moving toward electric machinery is a major opportunity to cut costs. By embracing these new tools, we can capture the benefits of the energy shift while making our farms much more resilient and productive.”
Quote from Queensland irrigator cotton and grain grower, Renée Anderson: "It's unfair that family farms face massive upfront costs just to reduce their vulnerability to global events. The playing field needs to be levelled."
Quote from Victorian winemaker, Michael Unwin: “The government should seek out local voices to help it coordinate its policies with the needs of local manufacturers and regional suppliers so the economic benefits stay in our communities.”
Quote from New South Wales beef cattle farmer, Martin Murray: “We are an extremely fuel-insecure nation. To remain an agricultural powerhouse, we need to invest in other systems and technologies that allow us to reduce our dependence on imported fuel.”
Quote from Tasmanian farmer and agricultural adoption adviser, Marcus James: "Energy sovereignty gives farmers more control over the cost of their own energy. Farmers want access to fuel and energy that reduces our costs and keeps more economic value in rural Australia.”
Quote from South Australian rangelands beef cattle producer, Gillian Fennell: "From the early RAPS units to modern solar pumps - farmers have been early adopters of renewables. Government needs to focus on removing the barriers to enable more farming businesses to upgrade their equipment and invest in new technology.”
Quote from roadmap author, Professor Ray Wills: “Diesel dependence is a vulnerability. Energy sovereignty is the opportunity. The job of policy now is to turn that opportunity into practical change – reducing exposure, lowering risk, and giving regional Australians more durable control over the energy systems their businesses and communities depend on.”
Quote from Farmers for Climate Action CEO, Verity Morgan-Schmidt: “The fuel supply disruption has highlighted just how vulnerable our sector is. The time has come for us to look at all sensible options to accelerate our shift towards energy sovereignty.
“Why would we rely on imported diesel we can’t control when, with sensible shifts, we can help build the systems to get us to electric machines running on cheap, clean energy powered by the Aussie sun?
“Putting a sensible cap of $50m on the Fuel Tax Credit Scheme, while protecting farmers, is just a no-brainer when it comes to accelerating the shift to electrification for heavy machinery.
“In a cost-of-living squeeze, why should we continue to encourage the biggest companies to enjoy unlimited taxpayer-subsidised diesel? There is a real opportunity for these biggest users to shift their focus to an electrified fleet; accelerating technology and bringing down emissions.”
- END -
Contact details:
Cam Klose 0490 436 948 [email protected]
