The peak organisation representing Queensland’s food and fibre producers has launched a campaign showing the positive work being done by farmers across the state as new federal environmental laws seek to redefine routine farm management as major redevelopment.
AgForce’s More than a farmer campaign gives a voice to primary producers who care for and manage their land to deliver critical agricultural production and important environmental enhancements.
Many of these benefits to society, such as invasive species control, riparian rehabilitation and fireload management are delivered free of charge and come in addition to the products and produce that feed our nation and power the economy.
AgForce Chief Executive Officer, Niki Ford, said revisions to the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, passed into law late last year, have placed a new layer of red tape and oversight by federal officials onto farmers and the full extent of their impact is still unclear.
“Food and fibre producers are integral to Australia’s and the world’s food security, while also stewarding a massive proportion of our national landmass,” Ms Ford said.
“They perform functions that are critical to us all. They support rural communities through economic contribution, provide employment opportunities and undertake countless hours of unpaid work that deliver positive outcomes for the environment through their responsible management of the land.”
Ms Ford said under the changes, producers face regulation of simple and necessary land and pest management activity including protecting against bush fires and fencing for livestock and wildlife safety, because their practices are now legally considered the same as major housing and mining projects.
“There are currently no clear agriculture-specific exemptions, even for critical activities such as farm and water infrastructure, fire management, weed control, routine grazing and pasture management and stewardship and rehabilitation works,” she said.
“It’s critical that we work with the Federal Government on guidance for exactly how these laws will be implemented on the ground. We can’t sacrifice the ability to undertake land management practices that support drought resilience, improve groundcover, curb erosion, mitigate fire risk, control declared and invasive weeds and reduce emissions.
“We want to ensure that agriculture is recognised for its importance to national food security and its unique nature, in that it is highly cyclical and inherently adaptive.”
AgForce also confirmed that DCCEEW has not modelled the cost of compliance for the agricultural sector from the Reforms and does not intend to do so.
In addition, there is no clarity on budget commitment around technology to facilitate this process, raising questions about whether economic and social impacts are being adequately considered.
Ms Ford said state and federal governments needed to recognise the value of agriculture as a critical industry.
“The updated legislation gives us the opportunity to explicitly recognise agriculture as a continuous, cyclical land use, delivering long-term public benefits,” she said.
“Agriculture is not a finite development activity, nor does it represent irreversible conversion of land use.
“Updating the continuous use provisions to reflect sustainable intensification and cyclical agriculture and differentiating remedial stewardship from high-impact land-use change, will go a long way towards ensuring producers can continue improving the environment for future generations and being part of the solution to climate change.
“Assessment and referral pathways must be designed specifically for food and fibre production systems operating in perpetuity and acknowledge region-specific ecological dynamics and the long-term observations of land managers.
“Over the coming weeks you will hear directly from many of them, to show how modern, innovative and regenerative farming practices are striking the right balance between feeding the nation and caring for the environment.”
