Grain Trade Australia (GTA) welcomes the New South Wales Government’s decision to defer commencement of the new Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL) for phosphine by 18 months, to 1 July 2028, as a positive step for growers and the grain value chain. GTA maintains that a three-year deferral to 1 December 2029, consistent with Victoria and Western Australia, remains the appropriate timeframe to validate practical measurement methods and develop workable controls.

The decision follows extensive engagement between the NSW Government, SafeWork NSW, GTA, GrainCorp, NSW Farmers, GrainGrowers and the broader grain industry. New South Wales joins Victoria and Western Australia, which have both moved to defer the phosphine WEL 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 the decision showed what can be achieved when government and industry work through difficult technical issues together, with worker safety as the shared priority.

“We thank the Minister for Work Health and Safety and Minister for Industrial Relations, the Hon. Sophie Cotsis MP, and SafeWork NSW Commissioner Janet Schorer for their willingness to engage with industry on a complex issue. The Minister’s office and SafeWork NSW engaged directly with industry and technical experts and took the time to understand how phosphine is managed in practice.”

“Industry has been clear from the outset that this is not about avoiding safety obligations. It is about having a standard that can actually be measured, monitored and complied with in a real-world environment. At present, that is not the case.”

Industry maintains its call for a three-year timeframe

New South Wales is one of Australia’s major grain producing states, and harvest is now under way across the state. Phosphine is the primary fumigant used to protect stored grain from insects, from on-farm storage through to bulk handling sites and port terminals. There is no equivalent, registered, commercially viable alternative available at the scale the industry requires.

“Bringing in a new limit on 1 December, just as grain starts moving into storage in large volumes, would have created real risks for storage capacity, grain quality and export commitments,” Mr O’Shannassy said. “This decision gives NSW growers, bulk handlers and exporters certainty through this harvest and the next.”

Industry and GRDC are funding extensive research into exposure pathways, monitoring capability and practical controls. That work is not expected to be completed until mid-2028, with further time needed to analyse and report the results.

“An 18-month extension takes us to roughly the point where that research concludes, but not beyond it. Regulators and industry will need time to analyse the findings and turn them into practical guidance. That is why we continue to believe three years is the right timeframe, and why we will keep working with SafeWork NSW to make the most of the time available,” Mr O’Shannassy said.

GTA calls on remaining states and territories to follow suit

With four states now recognising that the 1 December 2026 timeframe is impractical, GTA is urging the remaining jurisdictions, including Queensland, to act before 1 December 2026 and to work towards a single, nationally consistent commencement date.

“NSW grain crosses into Queensland, Victoria and South Australia every day. There are now two different deferral dates in place across the states, with other jurisdictions yet to decide. Industry’s strong preference is for governments to settle on one date, and 1 December 2029 already has the support of several states.”

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 all the state 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