If you’re a farmer who buys, sells, or borrows against livestock, machinery, or crops, you need to know about the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR). Whether you’re selling livestock on account, leasing equipment, or buying second-hand machinery, the PPSR is a crucial tool to protect your rights — and to avoid nasty surprises down the track.
Here’s what you need to know, whether you’re considering registering on the PPSR yourself or you’ve discovered someone’s put a registration on your stock or equipment.
What is the PPSR and why does it matter for farmers?
The PPSR is a national online register that lets people record security interests over personal property — including livestock, crops, machinery, and vehicles.
For example, you should register your interest on the PPSR:
- if you sell stock or equipment but keep ownership until full payment (i.e retention of title);
- if you lease equipment (even if it is an inter-entity lease);
- if you are taking stock or equipment as collateral; and/or
- you lend stock or machinery.
Without registering, you could lose your right to get your property back if the buyer, lessee, or borrower goes into insolvency.
Read more here about the importance of documenting in-house arrangements.
Considering registering on the PPSR? Here’s what you need to know
It only works if you have a proper written agreement
The PPSR isn’t just a magic list where you can claim property. You can only register an interest if you have a valid written agreement — such as:
- A livestock sale agreement where you retain ownership until final payment.
- A lease agreement for farm machinery.
- A loan agreement using crops or cattle as security.
Without a written agreement, you can’t register properly, and you can’t enforce your rights if the other party defaults.
No written agreement = no enforceable security interest.
If you need help documenting a sale, lease or loan, call us on 1300 654 590 or email us to talk to one of our experienced lawyers
It’s first in, best dressed
The PPSR works on a priority system — the first person to register properly usually wins if there’s a dispute over ownership or security. Even if you’ve owned the equipment for years, you can lose out to someone who registered first.
If you need help registering a security interest on the PPSR call us on 1300 654 590 or email us to talk to one of our experienced lawyers.
What can you register?
- Livestock (cattle, sheep, etc.)
- Crops (existing and future)
- Farm machinery (tractors, harvesters, etc.)
- Stored grain or produce
- Vehicles (utes, trucks)
If you need help registering a security interest on the PPSR call us on 1300 654 590 or email us to talk to one of our experienced lawyers.
It protects you in insolvency
If a buyer or lessee goes broke, the PPSR can help you recover your goods — but only if you registered properly and on time.
Has a buyer or lessee gone broke? Do you need help recovering your assets call us on 1300 654 590 or email us to talk to one of our experienced lawyers
Found an opportunistic PPSR registration on your livestock or machinery? Act fast!
Sometimes, you might discover that someone — a supplier, contractor, or even a former business partner — has wrongfully registered a security interest against your farm assets.
This is known as an opportunistic or spurious registration, and it can be used to:
- Pressure you in a dispute.
- Try to block a sale or refinancing.
- Create leverage where no real debt exists.
Steps to take if you find a dodgy registration
If you find that someone has incorrectly registered an interest on the PPSR against your assets:
Check the Details: Run a PPSR search to see:
- Who registered the interest.
- What property it covers
- When it was registered.
Ask for Proof: Contact the party who registered the interest and demand a copy of the written agreement they are relying on. In many cases, they won’t have one.
Issue an Amendment Demand: If there’s no valid agreement, you can formally demand removal of the registration. This is called an amendment demand, and it puts the registrant on notice that they must remove or correct the entry or face further action.
Go to the PPSR Registrar or Court: If the registrant refuses to amend the register, you can:
- Apply to the PPSR Registrar to remove the registration; and/or
- Apply to the Supreme Court for an order removing the registration — and possibly claim compensation if the registration has caused financial loss (e.g., delaying a cattle sale or blocking a machinery loan).
If you need help dealing with an opportunistic registration on the PPSR call us on 1300 654 590 or email us to talk to one of our experienced lawyers.
Farmers’ PPSR checklist
The PPSR is one of the most powerful tools to protect your farm assets — but only if you use it correctly. Whether you’re a seller, lender, or buyer, knowing how to register and check security interests could save you from major financial loss. If you’ve found a dodgy registration or want to set up your own PPSR protections, get advice early. The cost of doing it right is far less than the cost of sorting out a mess later. As part of your asset protection strategy farmers should have a PPSR checklist:
- Always have clear written agreements for sales, leases, and loans.
- Register security interests on the PPSR — the sooner, the better.
- Search the PPSR before buying machinery, vehicles, or livestock.
- Check your ABN/ACN regularly to make sure no one has registered against your property without cause.
- Act quickly if you find an opportunistic registration — the longer it sits, the harder it can be to remove.
How we can help
We can help put in place written agreements for sales, leases and loans, register your interest on the PPSR or help you deal with opportunistic registrations.
Call us now on 1300 654 590 or email us to talk to one of our experienced lawyers.
The information contained in this post is current at the date of editing – 04 April 2025.
