✦ Plain-English Summary

Prime Agricultural Land Protection Bill 2026 (No. 2)

What it does

This bill creates a system to identify and protect Australia's best farmland from being lost to non-agricultural uses. It establishes different protection levels for different quality agricultural land, with stricter rules on tier 1 (best quality) land. It also creates a new Agriculture Commissioner role to oversee these protections and assess whether major projects should be allowed on productive farmland.

Why it matters

Australia's productive agricultural land is finite—once it's converted to housing, mining, or other uses, it's gone. This bill aims to stop prime farmland from being developed away or falling under foreign control, which could affect long-term food security and farming opportunities for Australian families.

Key details

• Three-tier system: Tier 1 land (highest quality) gets the strongest protections; Tier 2 and 3 get conditional protections depending on the type of project
• Foreign ownership restrictions: Tier 2 land gets specific rules around foreign ownership or control
• Social licence reports: Before major projects on Tier 2 land, a report must assess community and environmental impacts
• New Agriculture Commissioner: An independent official will have powers to investigate and enforce these protections

Status: Currently before the Senate; not yet law.

Official Description

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

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