Media Release | 22 October 2026
Lachlan Hunter MLA
Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Food
Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Food, Lachlan Hunter MP, has demanded Industrial Relations Minister Simone McGurk delay new grain dust exposure limits, accusing her of misrepresenting industry feedback to justify her refusal to act.
Mr Hunter said the Minister must address growers’ concerns before the new limits take effect on 1 December, which also happens to be in the middle of harvest.
“The Minister’s stubbornness is no substitute for sound policy. She must put her ego aside, listen to growers and delay these changes until there is a practical implementation pathway,” Mr Hunter said.
“Farmers are harvesting their crops. They need clear answers about how to measure, monitor and manage grain dust exposure, yet the Minister seems more interested in defending her position than fixing the problems.”
During parliamentary Question Time this week, Ms McGurk claimed that industry representatives she had spoken to had been comfortable with her communication that grain dust limits would not be delayed, asserting they “did not object” during her conversations with them.
Mr Hunter said that portrayal ignored written requests for change, which he tabled.
“WAFarmers requested a deferral and consultation before enforcement. SafeFarms WA rejected the December commencement date and requested a delay until December 2027. The PGA called for untreated grain dust to be removed from the airborne contaminants list,” he said.
“The Minister cannot rewrite industry’s position to suit her argument. Acknowledging a decision is not the same as supporting it. If she claims those concerns have been resolved, she should identify which organisations have withdrawn their requests and when.
“Faced with those findings and letters outlining the problems, the Minister’s response was to call me a ‘drama captain’,” Mr Hunter said.
“She can throw insults across the chamber, but she owes growers answers. Personal attacks will not produce monitoring equipment, practical guidance or a workable transition. Growers and agricultural safety organisations support protecting workers. Their concerns deserve serious consideration, and the Minister must delay implementation while these issues are being resolved.”
An industry survey cited in a joint letter from Grain Producers Australia, WAFarmers and WA Grains Group found 99 per cent of WA growers did not know how they would measure grain dust exposure or comply with the new limits, exposing growers to a risk of non-compliance with the law due to a serious failure of consultation and communication.
ENDS
