FROM the air tractors looked like message sticks as farmers assembled their machines to form a message Food Not Gas in a paddock yesterday.
The image, which took about six hours to assemble, summed up the feelings of landowners in the district including North Byaduk, Branxholme and Wallacedale — they don’t want any gas exploration and mining on their land.
About 250 people with 67 tractors rolled up to the Brisbane Hill property to share their views around a barbecue, listen to a guest speaker and send a clear message to politicians and companies.
Organisers Jill and Colin Frawley of Branxholme said the turnout demonstrated growing unrest in the farming community.
“We don’t believe agriculture and gas production are compatible,” Mr Frawley said.
“It’s too risky — once something goes wrong you can’t undo it.
“We rely on the aquifer for our sheep, cattle and cropping operation.
“We plan to keep growing food and fibre for a long time, but with a gas field it’s usually only a 15 to 20-year operation.”
Yesterday’s rally followed an opinion survey in the farming communities which Mr Frawley said showed overwhelming opposition to all forms of gas extraction.
Similar surveys have been conducted in other areas of Australia as part of a grassroots movement called Lock The Gate.
Victoria has a moratorium on all forms of exploration and extraction.
One company, Lakes Oil, which has exploration rights in western Victoria, says it can tap reserves using conventional drilling methods, but opposition community groups claim there is no guarantee the controversial fracturing technique will not be used.
As a follow-up to yesterday’s protest politicians will be contacted and pressure put on the Victorian Farmers’ Federation to take a stronger stance.
Mr Frawley said he had been a VFF member for decades, but felt the organisation was sitting on the fence on this issue.
“We want to put a motion at the next conference,” he said.
“Recently they’ve invited pro-gas speakers to state their case, but I would have thought the VFF should always take a pro-farmer approach.
“Another concern is that gas tapped from existing on-shore fields is being sold overseas and prices are tipped to soar which will hit dairy processors and other industries hard.”
