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, divided 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.
Senator Matthew Canavan 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 projects, renewable energy installations, mining, housing expansion and foreign investment. The second-reading 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 Senate, receiving amendments or becoming an Act.
The collected bill-specific parliamentary sources include the sponsor’s case for the bill but not speeches opposing it, committee findings, divisions or a recorded amendment process. The main caution for readers is source scope: this page is based on introduced-stage material and should not be read as a complete account of later debate or public criticism.
Senator Matthew Canavan introduced this bill. Supportive speeches so far have come from Nationals.
Did it become law?
Not yet
Final passage
No final vote yet
The bill has not yet completed passage through Parliament.
Days since introduction
91 days
Updated 10 June 2026.
Meaning
The bill would require the Minister for Agriculture to create a national map of Australia’s agricultural land, divided 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 anything that 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.
The bill would also 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. that enabled foreign state-owned corporations or foreign government investors to own or control 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..
For projects affecting 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., the proponent would need to publish a social licence reportA public report a project proponent would need for projects affecting Tier 2 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 Bill 2026 (No. 2) 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 Bill 2026 (No. 2) 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 Bill 2026 (No. 2) introduced bill text
The Commonwealth must not provide funding to any entity in respect of a project if doing so would enable ownership or control of Tier 2 land by a foreign state-owned corporation. ... foreign government investor (within the meaning of the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975).Prime Agricultural Land Protection Bill 2026 (No. 2) 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 Bill 2026 (No. 2) 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 Bill 2026 (No. 2) 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 Senate, receiving 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 Queensland and New South Wales statutory 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..
Senate second-reading speech ↗Energy infrastructure disputes show rural land-use pressure
A collected Australian Financial Review article reported farmer and transmission-company concerns about tax and negotiation issues when rural landowners sell land for energy infrastructure. This is wider policy context, not a recorded parliamentary finding about this bill.
Australian Financial Review ↗Private senator's bill introduced
The APH progress record shows Senator Matthew Canavan 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 (No. 2) and moved the second reading in the Senate.
Parliament of Australia ↗Foreign land-related investment remained part of the wider policy debate
A collected Australian Financial Review article reported debate over tax treatment for foreign investors selling land-related assets including renewable energy assets. This is broader context only and is not evidence of a later outcome for the bill.
Australian Financial Review ↗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 parliamentary sources include the sponsor’s case for the bill but not speeches opposing it, committee findings, divisions or a recorded amendment process. The main caution for readers is source scope: this page is based on introduced-stage material and should not be read as a complete account of later debate or public criticism.
The bill’s own explanatory materials say it would not prevent property owners 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.
Foreign-ownership concern has wider public-policy counterpoints
One collected public-context article reported Rabobank’s view that foreign ownership of Australian farmland was overstated when measured by value. That is relevant background to the bill’s foreign-control provisions, but it is not recorded in the source bundle as parliamentary criticism of this specific bill.
Further sources
Votes
No recorded votes have been found yet for this bill.
Parliamentary debate
Start here — lead voices
Matthew Canavan supports the bill, presenting it as a food-security and regional-community measure that would use 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. conditions to protect productive farmland, farmer livelihoods and local social licence.
Read in Hansard ↗All speeches by bloc
1 speaker · 1 support
“This Bill is pro-farmers, pro-food security, and pro-community.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Record
Senate · 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.
Senate · 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.
