Portfolio — 29 May 2026

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Julie Collins opened two distinct but reinforcing lines of communication on 29 May 2026, one through a major funding announcement and one through parliamentary debate on tax settings, both directed at the agricultural sector.

The centrepiece announcement is an $86.7 million grant round to fund seven Future Drought Fund Drought Resilience Hubs, covering New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, southern Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory [TA-260529-agricu-5eecf09c6cdd]. The round follows an independent review of the hubs and is designed to connect farmers and communities with regional experts, emerging innovations, new practices and services [TA-260529-agricu-5eecf09c6cdd].

Collins positioned this as part of a sustained investment posture: since taking office, the government has committed more than $1.3 billion in rural support and drought resilience, pledged an additional $1 billion in Rural Investment Credit loan funding, and introduced a Drought Hardship Loan earlier this year. The cumulative picture the media release projects is one of layered, continuous support across the full drought cycle — preparation, management and recovery.

In the House, Collins defended the government's capital gains tax changes in the context of agriculture. She told the chamber that the changes commence on 1 July 2027 and apply only to gains realised after that date [TA-260528-house-f5e69c44cc32:s151]. She said small-business concessions will allow nine out of ten agriculture, forestry and fisheries businesses to qualify for the CGT discount — a framing designed to rebut suggestions the changes will disadvantage farm businesses.

The parliamentary debate reference to prior National Farmers' Federation support, cited in yesterday's budget defence, signals that Collins has been building a consistent record across consecutive sitting days on the tax question.

The two streams converge on a single portfolio message: the government is both expanding on-the-ground drought infrastructure and managing the tax environment in ways it argues are favourable to the agriculture sector. The hub grant round is the operational delivery arm; the CGT clarifications are the regulatory assurance arm. Together they constitute a dual-track effort to address farmer concerns about both physical resilience and financial exposure.