Budget 2014: The reaction

The Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) says while the rural health sector was spared savage cuts in the Budget, the new $7 Medicare co-payment for GP consults would have a big impact in the bush and out additional pressure on rural practices.

“The $7 Medicare co-payment - together with patient co-payments for pharmaceuticals, out-of-hospital pathology tests (like blood tests) and diagnostic imaging services - will impact significantly on rural patients and could lead to much greater costs on the health and hospital system in future years,” said RDAA vice president Dr John Hall.

Dr Hall predicted in many cases, patients unable to afford a GP consult would seek treatment at their local hospital.

“Because many rural doctors work at both their local general practice and the local hospital, they will experience an increasing number of hospital call-outs, including after-hours call-outs."

The National Rural Health Alliance said it was hard to see how an increase in patient contributions would assist in improving access to primary health care in the bush.

"Whether it's the $7 co-payment under bulk-billing or the $5 extra in out-of-pocket costs for general patients, the extra cost will have to be borne by either the patient or the GP," said NRHA chair Tim Kelly.

"Out-of-pocket health care costs are already higher in rural and remote areas and many people make extraordinary efforts to access a GP, including paying transport costs. The last thing rural patients need is another barrier to accessing primary care."

On the plus side, the NRHA said the Budget had confirmed modest funding promised at the election for additional GP consultation rooms for supervising registrars and medical students in rural and remote locations, and a small investment in scholarships for nursing and allied health.

Services for Australian Rural and Remote Allied Health (SARRAH) has dubbed it a "horror budget" for the bush.

SARRAH chief executive Rod Wellington said changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme rollout, the Medicare co-payment, petrol excise and amalgamation of Medicare Locals into GP-run entities would result in further barriers to country people accessing the health care they need.

“This budget will exacerbate the key inequities in health coverage outside urban Australia, especially the workforce shortages that deny rural Australians access to healthcare taken for granted in the cities,” Mr Wellington said.

The National Farmers Federation said the Budget had largely delivered on the government's election commitments on agriculture including an extra $100 million towards agricultural research and development.

"The benefits from agricultural research and development to the Australian community are enormous," said NFF president Brent Finlay.

However he said the NFF was disappointed to see major cuts to the Co-operative Research Centre program, and the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation.

The peak body for ag chemicals and biotechnology applauded the government for delivering on promises to fund a minor use and specialty crops program despite Budget pressures.

CropLife Australia chief executive Matthew Cossey said the $8 million commitment showed the government was serious about ensuring farmers had access to the same products as their competitors overseas.

"The small size of Australia’s crop protection product market on a global comparison means that the implementation of this initiative is vital so that Australian agriculture is assured access to the latest innovations from the plant science industry and their full range of uses," Mr Cossey said.

Business advisory firm Grant Thornton warned the Government's decision to reduce the research and development (R&D) rate by 1.5 per cent would "stifle" innovation in the food and beverage sector.

The company's head of food and beverage Tony Pititto said the reforms would likely see a further reduction in Australian food and beverage companies' R&D spend which was already lagging well behind their US counterparts.

“The change is likely to lead to less innovation in an industry which must innovate to combat the challenges of the duopoly supermarket position in Australia and must look at product innovation for export markets and new distribution channels,” Mr Pititto said.

National Farmers Federation president Brent Finlay said cuts to the national Landcare program would "limit the ability of farmer to achieve the natural resource goals and expectations of the broader community".

“The NFF is very disappointed that the Environmental Stewardship Programme has been abolished. This program was public investment for public benefit, and involved long-term investment to improve threatened ecological communities," Mr Finlay said.

The Australian Conservation Foundation has slammed cuts to Landcare in the 2014 federal budget.

“The Coalition has broken its election promise to maintain full funding for Landcare," said the foundation's chief executive Kelly O’Shanassy.

"This is a slap in the face for conservation heroes in the bush, in cities and on the coast who work every day to protect the clean air, clean water and healthy soil that we all need to survive.

Ms O'Shanassy also voiced concerns about plans to abolish the National Water Commission.

“ACF is concerned that the Government has abolished the National Water Commission without setting out which agency will be responsible for delivering its critically important functions.

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