GrainGrowers has urged the Federal Government to legislate a Right to Repair framework for agricultural machinery, proposing targeted amendments to the Competition and Consumer Act to bring the farming sector in line with the 3rd party repair protections granted to the light vehicle industry.
Under current Australian Consumer Law, most agricultural machinery is excluded from consumer guarantee protections, including the right to 3rd party repair because the law only applies to goods under $100,000 in value. With most tractors, harvesters, and other essential equipment exceeding this threshold, farmers are left without the legal safeguards available to other sectors.
Speaking on a panel at the 2025 Australian Repair Summit in Canberra, GrainGrowers Advocacy and Rural Affairs Manager Sean Cole said reform was well overdue.
“Farmers need the freedom to choose who repairs their machinery, rather than being locked into restrictive arrangements and inflated cost structures,” he said.
“The lack of repair access in the agricultural machinery sector has been estimated by the Productivity Commission to cost close to $100 million annually in lost productivity, delays, and inflated servicing fees. It is a cost that cannot be allowed to continue.”
Mr Cole said a first step would be for the government to implement the recommendation of the Productivity Commission 2021 Right to Repair report proposing a mandatory repair supplies obligation for agricultural machinery manufacturers.
He explained by including agricultural machinery in the Commonwealth Competition and Consumer Act 2010 manufacturers would be then required to provide access to repair information, parts, and diagnostic tools - including software and security protocols - on fair and reasonable commercial terms.
Mr Cole said the ACCC 2021 Agricultural Machinery Market Study had highlighted the concerns facing owners of agricultural machinery.
“In its study the ACCC noted that farmers face limited competition in servicing due to manufacturer control over repair information. They also found that contractual restrictions and software locks prevented independent professional technician servicing, even for basic repairs.”
Mr Cole said the government was aware of the issue and had been urged by industry to act sooner rather than later.
Assistant Minister for Competition Dr. Andrew Leigh, speaking at the ABARES conference in December 2024, acknowledged: “Farmers have few choices when buying machinery but even less choice when servicing or repairing that equipment… The Productivity Commission recommended the government intervene by introducing a repair supplies obligation on agricultural machinery.”
Mr Cole warned that without reform, farmers would remain at the mercy of monopolised servicing arrangements that undermine competition, resilience and food security.
“This is a no-brainer for a government looking for productivity wins, strengthening regional resilience and food security.”
“The framework already exists in the light automotive sector. Extending it to agriculture is a matter of fairness and economic logic.”
GrainGrowers is calling for:
- Amendment to the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 to include agricultural machinery under the Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Information Sharing Scheme.
- Amendments to Part IVE of the Competition and Consumer Act to include agricultural machinery.
- Explicit protections against warranty clauses that penalise third-party servicing (as is the case now for light vehicles).
- Inclusion of software, diagnostic tools, and security protocols in the scope of repair access (as is the case now for light vehicles).
- ACCC enforcement powers to ensure compliance and protect farmers from anti-competitive conduct.
“Growers are already strong contributors to the productivity solution. But they need the tools, data, and legal backing to keep doing so in the future,” Mr Cole said.
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