The federal government will reject a recommendation to move the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) back to Canberra.
The regulator of agricultural and veterinary chemical products in Australia was controversially moved to Armidale in northern New South Wales by then-agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce in 2016.
Last year a review by Clayton Utz found the APVMA was "captured" by industry interests and was subject to regular complaints of misconduct, including allegations a staff member urinated on colleagues at a 2021 Christmas party.
New England MP and former agriculture minister, Barnaby Joyce today accused the government of carrying out a "back door shutdown" of the authority in Armidale by allowing employees to choose where they are based.
