Federal Assistant Minister Andrew Leigh speaks at the Australian Repair Summit last week. Photo: Andrew Leigh

ASSISTANT Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury Andrew Leigh has thrown his support behind growers’ right to repair their own machinery, saying greater control over who carries out repairs could boost efficiency across the agricultural sector.

Speaking at the 2025 Australian Repair Summit on Friday, Dr Leigh said there was clear evidence the lack of right to repair legislation has financial impacts on the agricultural industry.

He cited a 2021 Productivity Commission report that the lack of repair access in the agricultural machinery sector cost an estimated $97 million per year.

“The impact is felt most sharply when things break down at the worst possible time, during harvest,” Dr Leigh said.

“Those delays and costs ripple through the economy.

“The principle is clear: if it’s broke, the owner should be able to fix it, or to choose someone local who can.”

Dr Leigh said the right to repair was part of the “government’s broader competition and productivity agenda”.

“At Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ Economic Reform Roundtable in August 2025, business, unions and community leaders agreed that a more competitive economy is a more productive economy.

“The renewed National Competition Policy Agreement, signed with states and territories last year, commits all jurisdictions to tackling structural barriers to competition, including those that restrict repair markets.”

He said the government’s first priority was to complete a review of the Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Information Sharing Scheme, Australia’s first right-to-repair law that encompasses passenger and light commercial vehicles.

Dr Leigh said this was to ensure the benefits of this legislation were “fully captured and understood”.

“We will continue to work with farmers, manufacturers and repairers to explore how those principles might apply in other sectors, starting with agriculture.

“As we look ahead, the question isn’t whether right to repair matters.

GrainGrowers Advocacy and Rural Affairs Manager, Sean Cole joined a panel at the 2025 Australian Repair Summit in Canberra. Photo: GrainGrowers

“It’s how far and how fast we can extend its benefits across the economy.”

Growers back change

Speaking as part of an industry panel following the Dr Leigh’s address, GrainGrowers advocacy and rural affairs manager Sean Cole said he was “ecstatic to hear how forward-leaning Dr Leigh was on the issue”.

He said the push was “gaining momentum”, driven by the clear impact the lack of repair rights was having on farmers.

“In the ag-machinery space, this is a big deal because it’s a high stakes poker game and, as Dr Leigh mentioned, there can be high financial losses in down-time and in crop losses,” Mr Cole said.

GrainGrowers and the broader agricultural sector have long called for changes to the competition law to support greater access to machinery repairs.

More specifically, the industry group is backing:

• amendments to the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 to include agricultural machinery under the Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Information Sharing Scheme;
• amendments to Part IVE of the Competition and Consumer Act to include agricultural machinery;
• explicit protections against warranty clauses that penalise third-party servicing, as is the case now for light vehicles;
• inclusion of software, diagnostic tools, and security protocols in the scope of repair access, as is the case now for light vehicles; and,
• Australian Competition and Consumer Commission enforcement powers to ensure compliance and protect farmers from anti-competitive conduct.

“We need to iron out some detail, and I think that’s where government and other players can come together to see that this momentum is gaining,” Mr Cole said.

“I think it is inevitable that we will get there.”

Automotive industry supports push

Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association’s Stuart Charity also spoke during the panel session.

As part of his AAAA role, Mr Charity was part of the push to legislate the Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Information Sharing Scheme.

He supported the inclusion of agricultural machinery as well as other sectors in the legislation.

“Agriculture, from a priority point of view, is next cab off the rank,” Mr Charity said.

“In designing the scheme, I know the government factored in the potential to add-on other sectors.

“The work that we have done to set up the infrastructure has been with the view that other sectors can leverage off that moving forward.”

Mr Charity said the AAAA was “very supportive” of the work being done by the agricultural industry in this space.

“At the appropriate time we are happy to engage and help you along the way.”

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