Foreign investment has always played a key role in the
Australian agricultural sector. However, the December 2015 changes
to Australia's foreign investment rules have complicated the
investment process and increased the scrutiny applied to all
investments, making Australia's foreign investment policy and
rules a key consideration for any proposed investment.
AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN INVESTMENT APPROVALS
Foreign investment in Australia is regulated by the Australian
Federal Government through the Foreign Investment Review Board
(FIRB), a nonstatutory body which advises the
Australian Treasurer on foreign investment policy and its
administration. FIRB examines proposals by foreign investors and
makes recommendations as to whether those proposals are in
accordance with the Government's foreign investment policy,
which looks at whether the investment is in Australia's
national interest.
