DAFF’s export systems modernisation skips big-bang replacement

Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry (DAFF) is improving efficiency, reducing paper-based processes, and giving exporters greater visibility over regulatory transactions thanks to a six-year program to modernise digital agricultural export services.

The Digital Services to Take Farmers to Markets (TFTM) program is replacing fragmented and manual processes across areas including certification, audits, licensing, and quota administration.

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Rather than attempting a high-risk, big-bang replacement of its legacy systems, DAFF has taken an incremental approach of progressively modernising and integrating critical services while maintaining continuity for exporters.

Chief digital and data officer Amanda Chalmers said the changes are designed to make export services easier to use while preserving the regulatory controls that support Australia’s access to international markets.

“The Digital Services to Take Farmers to Markets program has simplified access to export services by providing a cohesive digital channel for exporters,” Chalmers said.

“Collectively, these improvements support a more efficient export system while maintaining Australia's strong regulatory standards and market access requirements.”

The program was established in the 2020-21 federal budget as part of the government’s Busting Congestion for Agricultural Exporters package, with an initial commitment of $222.2 million over four years.

Its goal was to replace existing export systems that had become difficult to maintain, as fragmented technologies, manual processing, and paper-based workflows were adding administrative effort for exporters and limiting the Department’s ability to respond quickly to changing international trade requirements.

The program has now delivered a single secure online entry point for exporters and digitised a range of regulatory processes.

“Certification services have also been modernised to support digital certificates with QR-code verification and online amendments, while a new audit platform supports regulatory audits,” Chalmers said.

One of the key elements of the program was a decision to progressively integrate and modernise critical services, rather than attempting to replace all legacy systems in a single transformation.

The reason for this approach was to reduce implementation risk and preserve continuity for export operations while new capabilities were introduced.

DAFF also moved workloads to cloud-based platforms and improved system monitoring. Shared capabilities were established, including identity management, integration services, and reusable technology components that could support multiple systems.

“Investing early in shared digital platforms and tools, and integration capabilities accelerated later delivery,” Chalmers said.

“Improved integration between systems has reduced duplicate handling of information and strengthened data quality and regulatory oversight.”

For exporters, the changes provide greater visibility of applications, approvals, audits, and other regulatory information through online services, while reducing reliance on manual and paper-based interactions with government.

Chalmers said close engagement with industry was an important part of the delivery model, allowing services to be improved incrementally based on feedback and operational experience.

The modernisation is also intended to provide a foundation for future digital and data reforms across the department.

With more integrated data and flexible technology platforms, DAFF expects to be better placed to respond to changing trade requirements, evolving export markets and future growth in agricultural exports.

The transformation has not been without delivery challenges. A 2024 ANAO performance audit assessed DAFF’s administration of the digital reform as ‘partly effective’, identifying weaknesses in implementation, change management and the measurement, and reporting of benefits. The Department agreed to all seven recommendations.

The government's 2026 Major Digital Projects Report reports that the program has now moved beyond underlying platform remediation, with its second tranche aimed at enabling DAFF to operate as a more risk-based and data-enabled regulator.