The draft report - Regulation of Australian Agriculture - makes several key observations that match Cotton Australia's recent calls for regulatory reform.

The report says: The cumulative burden of regulation on farmers is substantial, and that farmers want better, less burdensome regulation; Native vegetation regulations require 'fundamental change', and environmental regulatory decisions need to take into account economic and social factors; Governments should improve consultation practices, and ensure good regulatory impact assessment processes are used as an analytical tool rather than a compliance exercise; International evidence could be used to assess agricultural chemicals, reducing the time and cost taken to achieve registration.

Cotton Australia says the Productivity Commission's observations echo its own calls for reform, made in recent submissions to government across many policy areas.

"The Productivity Commission has expressly stated what farm representative groups have known for some time - that red tape is an excessive burden on farmers, and the case for reform is evident," says Cotton Australia General Manager, Michael Murray.

"Importantly, the Commission identified native vegetation as a key area for reform, as this is an issue currently in play in the cotton-growing states of Queensland and New South Wales."

"We have also been calling on governments to engage in adequate consultation practices before implementing new regulations, or modifying existing regimes, and so we are pleased the Commission also highlighted this area as deserving of review."

"Cotton Australia will review the report in depth, and provide feedback to the Productivity Commission based.”

Cotton Australia is the peak representative body for Australia’s cotton growing industry.