Balancing complexity when every link counts

Queensland horticulture relies on a finely balanced supply chain. Growers need efficient, predictable transport to move produce from farm to market. When that chain is disrupted - by fuel spikes or supply chain shocks - the impact is felt immediately at the farm gate.

Last week, the Government passed emergency legislation - the Fair Work Amendment (Fairer Fuel) Bill 2026. The new law gives the Fair Work Commission the power to grant transport operator higher freight rates in response to rising input costs. While well intentioned, this deserves careful scrutiny.  

Mechanisms that allow rapid intervention in transport contracts - adjusting payments, introducing fuel levies, and reshaping commercial terms at short notice – may protect one part of the supply chain, but inevitably place pressure on another.

The reality is: costs don’t disappear, they move.

Transport operators must recover rising fuel costs. Retailers are reluctant to absorb margins. And growers, who already carry the cost of getting that produce to market, often have the least room to move.

If these pressures are not balanced carefully, growers risk being squeezed between rising freight costs and fixed or slow-moving returns. Consumers could face higher prices. And a system built on tight margins could become less stable, not more.

Queensland horticulture does not operate in isolation. Every link in the chain matters.  Interventions designed to stabilise one segment must avoid unintentionally destabilising another.

The lesson is not to avoid action, but to approach it with care. In fresh produce, even well-meaning changes can have unintended consequences. And when that balance tips, everyone – from grower to consumer – pays the price.