BAROSSA broadacre farmers are ramping-up efforts to be "noticed" by the State government and prevent new laws from stymieing their business.
Nearly 20 farmers met at Tanunda farmer Peter Grocke's property on Monday to state their case to Family First MLC Robert Brokenshire and SAFF president Roger Farley.
They fear the newly passed Character Preservation (Barossa Valley) Bill 2012 will favour boutique viticultural, horticultural and tourism enterprises at the cost of traditional farming.
Mr Brokenshire said new restrictions on shed sizes, colours and buffer zones were causing headaches for farmers.
"Farmers want to put sheds where it's most convenient for productivity and for access," he said.
"But they're told to put heaps of trees around it, or make it green, or take it off the top of a hill and hide it down in a gully."
The preservation bill requires that future development applications in the protected zone are assessed to ensure they promote the region's character, meaning sheds may need to be screened from key tourism routes.
It will prohibit subdivision for residential purposes in the rural zone, which has negatively affected some farmers' plans to subdivide and sell-off parts of their land to support retirement.
Adjoining land-use issues have also been emerging in the region, mainly as a result of new viticulture and tourism enterprises, and Mr Brokenshire wants laws put in place to protect existing farmers.
"A sixth-generation farmer recently had a neighbour plant a 200-square metre vineyard next to his cereal crop," he said.
"That neighbour had to apply for a 'change of land-use' to plan that vineyard, but because it was a category-one development, the farmer next door was not notified and did not have any right to object.
"Now the onus is on him to prevent spray drift and it could make it difficult for him to crop those paddocks close to the small vineyard."
Mr Farley said South Australia needs a new right-to-farm bill before the final details of the preservation bills are finalised, or before a separate proposal to gain World Heritage Status for the Adelaide Hills is successful.
Full report in Stock Journal, February 7 issue, 2013.