Did you know that about $3 billion worth of fresh produce is bought and sold through Sydney Markets every year? Sydney Markets is the biggest central market in Australia and our client Freshmark represents businesses that operate within the markets system, from wholesalers to independent retailers.
Proposed changes to a key piece of regulation in NSW could have cost some of these businesses up to $100,000 a year, and might have left the NSW sector at a major competitive disadvantage, so we worked with Freshmark to build a strong government submission in response.
A quick overview of the issue
In December last year, the NSW Food Authority released the Draft Food Regulation 2025 which includes new standards for berries, leafy vegetables and melons. In most other states, the licensing fees extend only to early-stage processors (from grower to packhouse). The NSW equivalent would capture wholesalers, providores and transporters as well. So Freshmark has called for:
- Proper engagement with all of industry, including fresh produce wholesalers and transporters in addition to growers
- Excluding wholesalers from the new requirements
- A fairer and more consistent licensing approach in line with other states
- A significant reduction in compliance costs across the supply chain
How we helped
Freshmark is a small but passionate organisation and their team pulled out all the stops for this important submission, digging into the legislation, engaging with members, meeting with government department representatives and coordinating with their national industry body equivalent. Did we mention the whole thing happened over the Christmas break?
HC’s support included:
- Helping clarify and crystalise the client’s position
- Developing case studies
- Drafting the submission
- Building a comms program around the response to ensure stakeholders were aware of the work that had been done on their behalf
Do you need help with a submission?
If there’s a policy or regulatory change that could impact your business or industry, we can help you build your case and present it to government or contribute to the submissions developed by your industry bodies. Talk to us about how to get started – a simple submission might be only a few pages but can earn you a place in the conversation.
Kendi Burness-Cowan