THE introduction of legislation for farmers’ “right to farm” into the State parliament was a motion supported by members and passed early on at this year’s annual conference.
NSW Farmers has always had policy which supported a right to farm, but this year’s motion supports NSW Farmers lobbying specifically for legislation to be enacted.
A right to farm is a multi-faceted concept which includes both obligations imposed directly on landholders which hinders farmers’ ability to manage land in the best interests of their agribusiness, and broader hindrances on agriculture in a wider land use planning context.
Right to farm is a statutory right legislated in overseas jurisdictions such as the provinces of Canada.
Every State in the US has some form of right to farm.
Hindrances on agribusiness could mean legislation affecting the way farmers manage natural resources on-farm – native vegetation legislation comes immediately to mind.
NSW Farmers believes native veg legislation is an unjustified imposition on farmers’ rights, not to mention the negative impacts on the environment these restrictions can have.
Another imposition is local council’s ability to place e-zones over private farm land.
NSW Farmers believes not only does this constitute a major error of law, it is a clear loss of property rights, other than on just terms.
E-zones effectively lock up land and existing use rights are not sufficient to protect the integrity of the agricultural business.
In terms of a broader policy context, right to farm also supports the continuance of food production in the face of expanding urban centres.
Farmers should not be driven off the land because of lifestyle blockies who relocate in proximity to a pre-existing farming operation, and cannot tolerate the realities of farming practice.
A right to farm would make farming operations immune from certain nuisance complaints.
The reality of farming is sometimes it’s smelly, sometimes it’s noisy, but farmers’ hard work to produce food and fibre should be supported and not restricted by our planning laws.
This is particularly important when considering the value of near-to-market fresh produce.
In the face of extractive issues, expanding urban centres and red and green tape on-farm, protecting and promoting our farmers’ ability to conduct business, manage the landscape, provide environmental stewardship and grow food, must be supported in legislation.
