Victoria’s Agriculture Minister Jaala Pulford has again vigorously defended the state government’s contentious changes to animal industries planning laws, in the face of growing community concerns.
Several councils, including Whittlesea and Hepburn, along with the 700 member Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance (AFSA) have continued to express concern the proposed Planning for Sustainable Animal Industries laws would stifle small, and organic, farmers.
And Nationals Euroa MP Steph Ryan has told parliament small producers were concerned changes to the planning controls would make their businesses unviable
But Ms Pulford said a lot of the anxiety could be put to rest with a better understanding of what the legislation contained. “There has been a bit of misinformation, and I am not sure whether it’s accidentally or intentionally, pedalled about,” Ms Pulford said. “There are people who are worried they will have to meet a higher planning standard, when the reforms are actually about everybody having to meet a less onerous standard.”
There are people who are worried they will have to meet a higher planning standard, when the reforms are actually about everybody having to meet a less onerous standard.
- Jaala Pulford, Victorian Agriculture Minister.
The government received 170 submissions on the proposed legislation, during a two month consultation period. “The planning proposals, which have been out for consultation, apply additional red tape to not one single producer – that’s important,” Ms Pulford said.
Opponents of the proposed changes have argued pastured producers with 500 chickens would be treated the same as an intensive farmer, with half a million birds in a shed.
Pastured pig producers with more than eight sows would be subject to the same regulations as an intensive producer with 800 sows. Ms Ryan also raised concerned about the imposition of buffer zones on small producers.
She said under the changes, small-scale pig and poultry farms would be subject to greater scrutiny and compliance costs than cattle feedlots. “If these changes go ahead, low-risk, small-scale agriculture will be destroyed,” Ms Ryan said.
AFSA president, small-scale pig producer Tammi Jonas, Eganstown, said she was not hopeful of any changes being made to the proposed legislation.
“They seem to be locked into pushing through with these reforms, which are pretty close to what they have proposed in the draft,” Ms Jonas said. “But there is an overwhelming amount of feedback that they are missing the mark.”
“Our main concern is grouping intensive and extensive pig and poultry farming together. You are not only going to do financial and logistical damage to farmers, doing small scale pastured pig and poultry production, but you are also going to have a big effect on the growth of the free range farming movement.”
Ms Jonas said she had heard from at least “a dozen” small producers who had raised concerns that requiring full scale permits was “ludicrous” and inconsistent.
“There are farmers facing a great deal of uncertainty about the requirements. We now have to leave it to the political process and hope our representatives have listened better than has Agriculture Victoria,” she said.
Whittlesea mayor Councillor Kris Pavlidis said the city had several concerns with the proposed reforms, including the increased regulation and ambiguity in how farming systems are regulated.
“The proposed changes are also inequitable as the reforms will operate in favour of large scale, industrial farming systems and they will disadvantage innovative boutique enterprises suited to the smaller lots in green wedge and peri-urban areas,” Cr Pavlidis said.
Hepburn Shire passed a motion requesting all varieties of pastured livestock be treated as having similar considerations, within the state Planning Provisions. It also called on the State government to implement a reasonable ‘no-permit-required’ guideline for small-scale pastured farming operations.
But Ms Pulford said, where appropriate, amendments would be made to address concerns which had been raised. “We want people have their say, we want to hear it, we want to reflect on it and we will respond to it. If there are good things, which have been put up and which we haven’t previously thought of, we will consider them.”
She said anyone suggesting the reforms would make things harder, ought to go back and have another look at the details of the legislation. “The idea people are going to be required to apply for a planning permit, where currently they don’t, is nonsensical.”
