{"id":10656,"date":"2025-03-07T15:33:01","date_gmt":"2025-03-07T05:33:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greenlifeindustryqld.org.au\/?page_id=10656"},"modified":"2025-05-07T11:15:52","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T01:15:52","slug":"big-box-inquiry","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/greenlifeindustryqld.org.au\/our-work\/big-box-inquiry\/","title":{"rendered":"Big Box Inquiry"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\n<\/svg>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

A Fairer Deal for Growers from the Big Box Stores\n<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJoin Now<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSee the Benefits <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"big-box-hero\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Greenlife\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Garden\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

What\u2019s the problem?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Australian retailers of greenlife products, including major supermarkets and big box retailers, have accumulated significant market share and far too much bargaining power, which they use to suppress prices paid to production nurseries and inflate the prices they charge to consumers.<\/span><\/p>

The price setting and other practices of these retailers impact regional communities disproportionately, having the effect of transferring wealth from these regional communities directly to supermarket shareholders.<\/span><\/p>

In a cost-of-living crisis, the Federal Government should step in where the drive within public companies toward greater profits is compromising the sustainability of the greenlife industry and consumer access to affordable greenlife products.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Greenlife Industry Qld is doing our bit to tackle the problem, including:<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
    \n
  • participating in a negotiation with Bunnings Warehouse to introduce a new greenlife industry trading framework, which promotes fairness through clear buyer obligations<\/span><\/li>\n
  • collecting de-identified business level data to support the case for stricter protections for greenlife producers<\/span><\/li>\n
  • training greenlife growers in trade negotiation strategies<\/span><\/li>\n
  • running trade days and a variety of consumer-facing events and campaigns, to support independent growers and retailers<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
     <\/div>\n
    In May 2025, a draft Statement of Principles<\/span> was established between Greenlife Industry Australia (GIA) and Bunnings. The draft responds to recommendations from the Senate Supermarket Inquiry and the Food & Grocery Code Review, and sets out how Bunnings will work with greenlife suppliers moving forward. Key commitments include written stock agreements, opt-out rights from the Cross Dock Program, 21-day responses to cost reviews, negotiated rebates and trading terms, and access to an independent arbiter for grower complaints. A Greenlife Working Group will also be established to oversee how the agreement functions in practice. The draft imposes obligations on Bunnings only. Industry consultation is closed and the framework is now in place.<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Big\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t

    What is Greenlife Industry Qld\u2019s position?\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
    \n\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t

    1. Code of conduct\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

    The Federal Government should legislate to <\/span>put Big Box greenlife retailers under the Food & Grocery Code of Conduct<\/b>, effectively giving nursery growers the same protection as food growers. Alternatively, a stand alone Greenlife Code of Conduct should be legislated to balance the bargaining power between Big Box retailers and nursery growers.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

    \n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t

    2. More ACCC powers<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

    The Federal Government should properly resource the ACCC to monitor and enforce compliance with competition law. This should include <\/span>giving the ACCC powers to monitor retailers\u2019 trading practices<\/b> and audit retailers for compliance with relevant codes.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

    \n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t

    3. Option to break up corporations<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

    The Federal Government should <\/span>introduce divestiture powers to act as an ultimate sanction<\/b> for gross and malicious breaches of market power by supermarkets and Big Box stores.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

    \n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t

    4. Collective bargaining<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

    The Federal Government should amend competition law concerning collective bargaining class exemptions specifically for horticulture businesses to make this more accessible and <\/span>introduce legislation to compel buyers to engage with groups of growers<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

    \n\t\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t

    Latest News<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t