The Andrews Labor Government is urging Victorian farmers to make safety a non-negotiable, as National Farm Safety Week begins today – highlighting farm safety issues in rural communities across Australia.
Last year, six workplace deaths were vehicles and machinery related, while a further 597 people received workers compensation after seriously injuring themselves.
The Labor Government continues to make farm safety a priority, with $2.1 million from the Victorian Budget 2023/24 allocated to deliver Agriculture Victoria’s new Farming Safe and Well program.
The program will work to address key farm safety risks, including those that might arise following natural disasters.
It will also provide targeted initiatives to improve safety for people of all backgrounds, including culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
The National Centre for Farmer Health will also receive $900,000 to continue the important work they deliver to Victorian farming communities.
This investment will enable the Centre to continue to build a culture of farm safety and improve the health and well-being of people in regional Victoria.
The Government will continue to partner with the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) to deliver the Making our Farms Safer program, which will turn its focus towards supporting older farmers.
Working in collaboration with farmers and industry, the program will deliver a guidebook for older farmers featuring practical farm safety advice and resources.
This will build on the success of the program, which delivers free farm safety tools and services that are accessible, practical and useful to all Victorian farmers to support farmers’ and workers’ safety, well-being and mental health.
As stated by Minister for Agriculture Gayle Tierney
“Safety should be a non-negotiable in agriculture and the Farming Safe and Well program will help everyone come home safe from their jobs.”
“Farm Safety Week is an important reminder that we all have a part to play in farm safety, and we look forward to working collaboratively with industry to keep people safe and well.”
