ADIC submission: Advocating for DFSV

The Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) is urging the Victorian Government to abandon its planned merger of Dairy Food Safety Victoria (DFSV) and instead retain it as an independent dairy-specific regulator.

In its submission to Agriculture Victoria, ADIC supports enhanced coordination between food safety bodies through formal agreements, joint training programs, and streamlined inspections while preserving dairy-specific oversight.

ADIC is also seeking reassurance from the Victorian Government that DFSV’s financial reserves remain within the dairy industry, preventing their reallocation to a broader regulatory structure.

In short ADIC believes:

• Dismantling DFSV would create more risks than any benefits from a centralised system.
• Regulatory efficiency can be achieved through coordination, not consolidation.
• Victoria’s world-class dairy industry is too significant for unnecessary regulatory risk.
• DFSV is a trusted, self-funded, and highly effective regulator.
• Merging DFSV risks losing its expertise, increasing food safety risks, damaging industry trust, and causing trade disruptions.
• Examples from New Zealand, Western Australia, and other sectors show merging specialised regulators weakens oversight and increases risks.

In detail: Read the ADIC submission.