This bill is currently before Parliament.
Industry, agriculture & resources
The bill would require the Minister for Agriculture to create a national map of Australia’s agricultural land, dividing it into Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 landMarginal agricultural land under the proposed map. The exact meaning of marginal land would be set by regulations. according to productive capacity.
Alison Penfold introduced the bill to put national limits around Commonwealth fundingMoney or financial support from the federal government. The bill mainly works by limiting when the Commonwealth can fund projects affecting mapped agricultural land. for projects on productive agricultural land. The explanatory memorandum says the bill responds to pressure on farming regions from infrastructure, renewable energy projects, mining, housing expansion and foreign investment. The sponsor’s speech frames the bill as a food-security and regional-community measure: it would map agricultural land nationally, restrict Commonwealth fundingMoney or financial support from the federal government. The bill mainly works by limiting when the Commonwealth can fund projects affecting mapped agricultural land. where projects damage the best land or facilitate specified foreign control, and create social licence and dispute-resolution processes for affected communities.
The bill sits in a wider debate about how Australia should manage competing uses for farmland. The official materials describe pressure from infrastructure projects, renewable energy installations, mining, housing expansion and foreign investment. The bill does not create a general ban on development or private land sales; it works by restricting Commonwealth fundingMoney or financial support from the federal government. The bill mainly works by limiting when the Commonwealth can fund projects affecting mapped agricultural land. unless mapped land, affected farmers and local communities meet the bill’s conditions. The collected source bundle does not show the bill passing the House, receiving Senate amendments or becoming an Act.
The collected bill-specific sources do not include a speech opposing the bill or a committee report criticising it. The main caution for readers is source scope: the available material is mostly the introduced bill text, explanatory memorandum and supportive second reading speeches, so this page should not be read as a complete account of later debate or public criticism.
Alison Penfold MP introduced this bill. Supportive speeches so far have come from Nationals, LNP.
Did it become law?
Not yet
Final passage
No final vote yet
The bill has not yet completed passage through Parliament.
Days since introduction
100 days
Updated 10 June 2026.
Meaning
The bill would require the Minister for Agriculture to create a national map of Australia’s agricultural land, dividing it into Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 landMarginal agricultural land under the proposed map. The exact meaning of marginal land would be set by regulations. according to productive capacity.
For Tier 1 landThe highest category in the proposed map: land that yields, or can yield, significant food or fibre outputs. Commonwealth funding would be most restricted on this land., the Commonwealth could not fund a project if the funding would reduce farming productivity or let a foreign-owned or foreign-controlled corporation take ownership, a lease or effective control of that land.
For Tier 2 landAgricultural land with capacity to produce food or fibre benefits, but not classified as Tier 1. Commonwealth-funded projects on this land would face conditions if they reduce farming productivity., Commonwealth-funded projects that reduce farming productivity would need undertakings to restore equal or better productivity, provide nearby agricultural offsetsReplacement farming opportunity the bill would require for certain Tier 2 projects, within 25 kilometres of affected land and offered first to displaced landowners on no-worse-off terms. for displaced landowners, lodge a refundable bondMoney a project entity would lodge with the Commonwealth to back its promise to restore or maintain productivity on Tier 2 land. and support the plan with independent review.
Projects affecting Tier 2 or Tier 3 landMarginal agricultural land under the proposed map. The exact meaning of marginal land would be set by regulations. would need a published social licence reportA public report a project proponent would need for projects affecting Tier 2 or Tier 3 land, covering consultation, compliance with the bill and local community benefits. covering consultation, compliance with the Act and local community benefits, with affected people able to appeal to a new Agriculture CommissionerThe new statutory office the bill would create to handle disputes about mapping, social licence, foreign control, farming offsets and project obligations..
The bill would establish an Agriculture CommissionerThe new statutory office the bill would create to handle disputes about mapping, social licence, foreign control, farming offsets and project obligations. to handle disputes about land mapping, social licence reports, foreign control, farming offsetsReplacement farming opportunity the bill would require for certain Tier 2 projects, within 25 kilometres of affected land and offered first to displaced landowners on no-worse-off terms. and whether project obligations have been met.
The Minister must produce a map of Australia’s agricultural land in consultation with the agricultural representative bodies prescribed by the rules. ... The map must divide Australia’s agricultural land into Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 land.Prime Agricultural Land Protection introduced bill text
The Commonwealth must not provide funding to any entity if doing so would: (a) diminish the productivity of Tier 1 land for farming; or (b) enable a foreign-owned corporation, or foreign-controlled corporation, to take ownership over, lease, or effectively control, Tier 1 land.Prime Agricultural Land Protection introduced bill text
the land will have the same or better productivity for farming as when the project commenced ... establish offsets ... within 25 kilometres ... The entity must give to the Commonwealth a refundable bond ... The undertaking ... must be supported by an independently reviewed planPrime Agricultural Land Protection introduced bill text
A social licence report prepared in relation to a project must outline: (a) the extent and duration of community consultation ... (b) the extent to which the project complies with this Act; and (c) the extent to which the project delivers tangible benefits to the local communityPrime Agricultural Land Protection introduced bill text
There is to be an Agriculture Commissioner. ... The Agriculture Commissioner has the following functions ... to arbitrate disputes ... with respect to: (i) the map produced under section 5; or (ii) an entity’s obligations under this ActPrime Agricultural Land Protection introduced bill text
Context
The bill sits in a wider debate about how Australia should manage competing uses for farmland. The official materials describe pressure from infrastructure projects, renewable energy installations, mining, housing expansion and foreign investment. The bill does not create a general ban on development or private land sales; it works by restricting Commonwealth fundingMoney or financial support from the federal government. The bill mainly works by limiting when the Commonwealth can fund projects affecting mapped agricultural land. unless mapped land, affected farmers and local communities meet the bill’s conditions. The collected source bundle does not show the bill passing the House, receiving Senate amendments or becoming an Act.
Existing land tools stop short of a single national tier map
The sponsor’s speech refers to tools such as the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator, the Australian Collaborative Land Use Mapping Program and state-level prime agricultural landThe bill uses this idea for Australia’s most valuable farming land, but the legal categories would be created through a national map rather than by a single existing definition. mapping, but says Australia lacks a uniform national map of prime agricultural landThe bill uses this idea for Australia’s most valuable farming land, but the legal categories would be created through a national map rather than by a single existing definition..
Second reading speech, Alison Penfold ↗Energy infrastructure disputes show rural land-use pressure
A collected Australian Financial Review article reported farmer and transmission-company concerns about rural landowners selling land for energy infrastructure and the tax and negotiation issues around those projects.
Australian Financial Review ↗Western Victoria transmission dispute highlights social-licence concerns
A collected Australian Financial Review article described farmer opposition to the Western Renewables Link transmission project and concerns about access to private land for transmission towers.
Australian Financial Review ↗Private member bill introduced in the House
The APH progress record shows Alison Penfold introduced the Prime Agricultural LandThe bill uses this idea for Australia’s most valuable farming land, but the legal categories would be created through a national map rather than by a single existing definition. Protection Bill 2026 and moved the second reading in the House of Representatives.
APH bill page ↗Senate speech repeats the bill’s food-security case
Matthew Canavan moved a second reading speech using similar arguments about food security, national mapping, social licence and protection of farmers, but the collected APH progress record for r7439 still lists the bill as before the House of Representatives.
Senate Hansard ↗Legislative route
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
Key criticism
The collected bill-specific sources do not include a speech opposing the bill or a committee report criticising it. The main caution for readers is source scope: the available material is mostly the introduced bill text, explanatory memorandum and supportive second reading speeches, so this page should not be read as a complete account of later debate or public criticism.
The bill’s own explanatory materials say it does not stop private landowners using their property without Commonwealth fundingMoney or financial support from the federal government. The bill mainly works by limiting when the Commonwealth can fund projects affecting mapped agricultural land., and that any acquisition of property would require just-terms compensation.
Further sources
Votes
No recorded votes have been found yet for this bill.
Parliamentary debate
Start here — lead voices
Alison Penfold supports her private member bill, arguing that Australia should protect its most productive farmland from poorly planned development, foreign control and Commonwealth-funded projects that leave farmers or regional communities worse off.
Read in Hansard ↗Matthew Canavan supports the bill, presenting it as a food-security and regional-community measure that would require Commonwealth-backed development on agricultural land to protect farmers, productivity and social licence.
Read in Hansard ↗All speeches by bloc
2 speakers · 2 support
“This bill puts a simple principle into law: Australia's best farming land should be protected first, not sacrificed for political agendas.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Record
House · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
House · Second reading moved
Second reading opened
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
