ON-THE-SPOT fines and harsher penalties for animal activists trespassing on farms were some of the ideas suggested at a hearing in Horsham on Wednesday.
The hearing was for the parliamentary inquiry into the impact of animal rights activists on agriculture.
Victorian Farmers Federation livestock group president Leonard Vallance, of Tempy, said trespassing on farms should be classified as breaking and entering.
"Unfortunately, Australian farmers are fairly relaxed about the entrances to their farm - I have 79 gates that open onto public roads so it would be near impossible to maintain security," he said.
"If a business in town was targeted like farms were, it would be classed as breaking and entering and the fines would be much higher."
Mr Vallance said on the spot fines would go a long way in deterring trespass and theft.
"Often activists are university students with little assets and on-the-spot fines would be a much more effective way to deal with them," he said.
"We have on-the-spot fines now for speeding and that is very effective in slowing people down."
Mr Vallance said if a farmer was transporting livestock without appropriate paperwork, the fine could be as much as $10,000, yet activists were often fined very little or let off charges.
Earlier this year, an animal activist was charged after she stole three goats and a lamb from a Gippsland farm.
She was fined $2 for removing an ear tag from a stolen goat and for housing livestock without a property identification code.
Mr Vallance said the state government and the industry had invested a lot of money in livestock identification schemes.
"It makes a mockery of the government, who spent $21 million on sheep identification, when someone is let off for transporting sheep without an ear tag and paperwork - it's ludicrous," he said.
"An outbreak of foot and mouth in England started with one animal - it only takes one."
The inquiry heard that many farming families were afraid they would be targeted by activists.
Mr Vallance said he knew a Mallee family that had to make sure someone was always home at the farm, for security purposes.
"It is now very difficult for them to enjoy the family parts of life - the concept of a family going for a picnic or fishing for the day doesn't happen anymore because someone needs to stay home," he said.
"The days of going up to the shed and leaving the kids in the house aren't viable anymore, so the impact on families is enormous."
Mr Vallance also called for trespass laws to extend to farm vehicles. He said there were instances of activists letting dogs or livestock out of stock crates.
