The Bullagreen Brief

There has been plenty happening across rural and regional Australia this month, but the common thread is that the decisions being made now will carry consequences well beyond the next season. In this edition, we look at the proposed CGT changes that could reshape how long-held rural property is valued, the SMSF measures worth watching and what another RBA hold means when the major banks still cannot agree on where rates are heading. We also unpack what the recent rain has cha

Twelve months ago we started as one person, with one standard: Be Better. Today Bullagreen is a growing team working across Finance, Consulting and People, bringing the team's combined experience together from the farm gate to the boardroom, across banking, consulting, government, and even time supporting defence. We did not set out to be another broker chasing a settlement, or another consultant with a template and a "she'll be right" answer. We set out to be the advisor rur

We’ve pulled together the key developments, explained what they mean in practical terms, and highlighted where action may be worth considering before the end of July. We hope you find this edition valuable. 01 RATES: THE ONE THING THAT STAYED STILL RBA Holds at 4.35% Unanimous First pause after three consecutive 25bp rises in February, March, and May 4.35% Cash Rate Held 16 June 2026 +75bp Added This Year Feb, Mar & May rises 5 Aug Next Decision 2026 board meeting The RBA h

The operating environment for rural and regional businesses has shifted materially through the first half of 2026. Interest rates remain elevated. Fuel costs continue to be influenced by international supply conditions and temporary government relief. Fertiliser remains expensive. Seasonal conditions have improved in some areas but remain uneven, while stronger cattle prices are changing the forecast position for some livestock operators. Each of these movements affects rural

Work health and safety often receives the greatest public attention when rural businesses consider their responsibilities to workers. The employment and human resources layer beneath it can be easier to overlook. Employment contracts, worker classifications, superannuation, award compliance, workers compensation and informal family arrangements may remain unreviewed for years within otherwise well-run operations. These issues often become visible at the most difficult time: w

Work health and safety expectations across rural Australia are continuing to develop. Agriculture is one of six high-priority industries identified under the Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2023–2033, alongside construction, transport, manufacturing, health care and social assistance, and public administration and safety. This priority status is contributing to ongoing regulator attention across the country. For rural operators, documented systems, current records

Succession planning has always been one of the most difficult conversations for rural families. Depending on the family, it may be happening around the kitchen table, in an adviser’s office, or not happening at all. What has changed over the past 12 months, and accelerated through the first half of 2026, is the pressure on the timing of those conversations. Bullagreen is seeing movement across relevant succession matters. Conversations that families may have deferred for year

The proposed changes announced in the 2026–27 Federal Budget extend beyond the taxation of discretionary trusts. Capital gains tax, negative gearing, corporate beneficiaries and business restructuring may all be affected if the measures proceed in their current form. For rural family groups, these issues may overlap. A family may hold agricultural land through a trust, own residential investment properties outside the farm, use a company beneficiary to retain trust income, an

The 2026–27 Federal Budget includes proposed changes to the taxation of discretionary trusts. For rural and regional business owners, the important question may not simply be whether a trust is connected to a farming operation. The types of income earned through the trust, and how each income stream may be treated under the proposed framework, may also need to be considered. This is particularly relevant for rural family trusts that receive a combination of primary production

By James Brouff, Founder and Group Managing Partner, Bullagreen Rural Specialists In March 2025, more than 30 rural and healthcare organisations joined forces to publish a joint statement calling on the federal government to invest $50 million over five years to address what they described as a mental health crisis in Australian agriculture. The coalition, led by the National Farmers' Federation and now endorsed by 60 organisations and individuals, put a number to something t