22 September 2016

Jeremy Rockliff, Minister for Primary Industries and Water

Tasmania’s poppy industry strengthened

The Tasmanian Parliament has today passed a package of positive reforms that will strengthen Tasmania’s valuable, globally recognised licit narcotic poppies sector.

The reforms include red tape reduction and deliver modern and streamlined regulation.

As a result of the amendments to the Poisons Act 1971:

• The role of the Poppy Advisory and Control Board (PACB) is strengthened and better informed by industry expertise;
• The PACB membership is updated, clarifying that the chair of the board must be independent, and by adding an independent member with appropriate skills to the board, giving balance to what is otherwise a board of government officials;
• The PACB is directly empowered to issue licences to commercial growers, providing greater responsiveness, and the licences for responsible growers are being extended from one year to five years, providing greater certainty;
• The PACB is able to issue practical guidelines to inform poppy growers about site suitability and other safety and security matters, to support a new simplified annual grower returns process; and
• The Act has been amended to strengthen enforcement of manufacturing and wholesale chemist licences to prevent potential misuse and diversion of controlled substances.

These reforms take into account the Ramsay Review of Tasmanian Poppy Industry Regulation of 2013, and importantly the contemporary operating environment and further industry consultation.

I want to particularly acknowledge the strong support from Poppy Growers Tasmania and also the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association.

These changes underpin the competiveness of our poppy industry now and into the future, helping ensure our industry has a long term positive outlook.

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