The Member for Mallee, Dr Anne Webster MP, has welcomed yesterday’s decision by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) to retain farmers’ access to paraquat and diquat under revised scientific conditions.
Dr Webster said the decision reflected what farmers across the Mallee and regional Australia have consistently argued: that practical farming realities, evidence and modern application practices must guide policy.
Yesterday’s APVMA determination confirms that paraquat and diquat will remain available for use, subject to stricter controls aimed at reducing exposure risks.
Importantly, the regulator concluded that “the weight of evidence does not show that paraquat exposure through approved uses increases the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.”
Dr Webster said the APVMA’s decision underscores the importance of Commonwealth bodies listening to those with lived experience in the field.
“At every step of this process, I have urged the regulator and government to respect farmers’ experience and perspectives, not emotion or conjecture.”
