✦ Plain-English Summary

Prime Agricultural Land Protection Bill 2026

What it does

This bill creates a system to identify and protect Australia's most productive farmland from being developed for other purposes or falling under foreign control. It establishes an "Agriculture Commissioner" — a new government position — to oversee these protections and review proposed changes to protected land.

Why it matters

Australia's best agricultural land is a finite resource that feeds the country and generates export income. Once it's paved over or degraded, it's essentially gone forever. This bill aims to stop that happening by putting legal guardrails around the land most critical to food production.

Key details

• The land gets categorised into tiers — The strictest rules (Tier 1) apply to the most productive land, with lighter restrictions for Tier 2 and 3 land. What counts as "prime" will be mapped and defined in regulations.

• Foreign ownership gets blocked on some land — The bill prevents foreign individuals or companies from owning or controlling Tier 2 agricultural land (with some exceptions).

• Development that hurts farming gets scrutinised — Projects on Tier 2 land that would reduce how productive the farm is need special approval and a "social licence report" showing community support.

• A new commissioner will enforce it — The Agriculture Commissioner will have powers to investigate and enforce these rules, similar to other independent government watchdogs.

Official Description

Establishes a framework for identifying and protecting Australia’s prime agricultural land.

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