Grain Trade Australia (GTA) welcomes the Western Australian Government’s decision to defer commencement of the new Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL) for phosphine by three years, to 1 December 2029. The decision provides the time industry has consistently said is needed to properly validate practical measurement methods and develop workable controls.

The announcement follows sustained engagement between the Western Australian Government, WorkSafe WA, GTA, CBH Group and the broader grain industry. Western Australia joins Victoria, where WorkSafe Victoria proposed in August to delay commencement of 15 of the new WELs, including phosphine, by three years to 1 December 2029, and South Australia, which announced an 18-month extension to July 2028 earlier this month.

GTA CEO Pat O’Shannassy said worker safety is the priority for all parties involved in the grain supply chain and the decision recognised both the importance of the Western Australian grain industry and the practical realities of managing phosphine safely across the supply chain.

“We thank the Minister for Industrial Relations, the Hon Simone McGurk MLA, the Minister for Agriculture and Food, the Hon Jackie Jarvis MLC, and the Acting WA WorkSafe Commissioner for their engagement with industry. They listened carefully, considered the evidence and arrived at a timeframe that is both practical and workable.”

Western Australia is the nation’s largest grain producing and exporting state, with the vast majority of its crop shipped to international customers. Phosphine is the primary fumigant used to protect stored grain from insects, in on-farm silos through to bulk storage and port terminals. There is no equivalent, registered, commercially viable alternative available at the scale the industry requires.

“Harvest has commenced in Western Australia. Changing the rules for the fumigant that underpins grain storage and export quality with only weeks of notice would have put storage capacity, biosecurity and market access at serious risk,” Mr O’Shannassy said. “A three-year deferral gives growers, storage operators, and exporters certainty, and the time to get this right.”

GTA looks forward to working with WorkSafe WA and industry during the deferral period on technical matters including measurement and monitoring that supports worker safety.

“This time needs to be used well. That means validating measurement methods, understanding the operational impacts and developing controls that industry can actually implement. GTA and its Members and the Western Australian grain industry are already doing that work, and we are eager to engage with WorkSafe WA,” Mr O’Shannassy said.

With three states now recognising that more time is needed to consider the implementation of the new WELs, GTA is urging the remaining states and territories to align with a consistent three-year timeframe.

“Grain moves across state borders every day, and a patchwork of start dates creates confusion for operators, workers and customers alike. Victoria and Western Australia have now set a clear benchmark. We encourage other jurisdictions to follow, so industry has one consistent and achievable pathway to implementation.”

GTA and its Members remain unequivocally committed to the safety of everyone who works in the grain value chain. GTA will continue to work constructively with the Western Australian, South Australian and Victorian Governments, Safe Work Australia, the APVMA and industry partners towards a phosphine exposure standard that is measurable, achievable, and genuinely protective of worker health.

Media Contact

Pat O’Shannassy
CEO, Grain Trade Australia
Phone: +61 2 9235 2155
Email: pat.oshannassy@graintrade.org.au | www.graintrade.org.au

About GTA

Grain Trade Australia (GTA) is the peak industry body for the commercial grains sector in Australia, providing the framework to facilitate and promote grain trade. With over 280 Member organisations spanning the entire value chain, GTA Members are responsible for over 95% of all grain contracts, storage and freight movements nationally. GTA also represents Australia’s interests in global markets through its role as a founding and active member of the International Grain Trade Coalition (IGTC). A list of GTA Members can be found at www.graintrade.org.au