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Labor announces funding increase to TFES
Fruit Growers Tasmania | Thursday, 3 April 2025, 11.00am
Fruit Growers Tasmania, on behalf of the state’s fruit industry, welcomes the Labor Government announcement to boost the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme (TFES), by $95 million post the Federal election.
It is understood the Labor party commitment will be rolled out over two years and will cover eligible north and south bound freight as well as intrastate movements. In addition, a review of the scheme will be commissioned.
“This is great news!” said Nic Hansen, President of Fruit Growers Tasmania. “This announcement comes as a result of considerable lobbying by industry to get a commitment to address the Scheme’s failures, including by ourselves at Fruit Growers Tasmania, Norske Skog, and the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It is good to see that the Federal Government has listened.”
The need to increase the level of assistance within the Scheme is based on the Federal Government’s own figures, which clearly show a significant increase in sea freight costs across Bass Strait over the past 25 years and at the same time no adjustment has been made to the level of support.
“We welcome the commitments made by both sides of Federal politics which promise immediate relief for businesses within agriculture and Tasmanian industry more broadly,” said Nic Hansen. “And we are anticipating that post the election, these changes will be put into effect without delay.”
