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Monday, 19 September 2011
Page: 10609

National Standard for Fertiliser Products

Debate resumed on the motion by Mr Pyne:

That this House:

(1) notes that consumers currently have little information made available to them in choosing which fertiliser product for private and domestic use will suit their needs, and which fertiliser products may damage their plants;

(2) recognises:

(a) that existing voluntary standards produced by Standards Australia, such as AS 4454, do not always provide consumers with sufficient information to ensure their fertiliser product is fit for its purpose;

(b) that the industry has made calls to urgently address anomalies between all compost standards, particularly contaminant levels, to ensure a high quality product that will improve soil health and productivity; and

(c) the recommendation of the Senate Select Committee on Agricultural Related Industries in its pricing and supply arrangements in the Australian and Global Fertiliser Market report, to implement, as a matter of priority, uniform description and labelling of fertiliser products to ensure consistency between jurisdictions; and

(3) calls on the Australian Government to work with the States and Territories to establish a national standard for fertiliser products for private and domestic use that are made available for sale in Australia:

(a) requiring uniform labelling; and

(b) prescribing the acceptable range of ingredient levels for fertiliser products such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and pH.