Farmers: Government’s rural crime crackdown needs beef

Farm groups also flagged concern that government’s planned action on the increasing bane of stock theft would involve more regulatory burden, instead of increased police resources, rural-specific training, and fresh strategies – though Police Minister Troy Grant says he will work to ensure any changes prompted by the Bradshaw review do not further burden farmers or victims of crime. 

Related

Mr Grant – a year after receiving the confronting report from former top cop Stephen Bradshaw – committed to widening Aggravated Trespass laws and enacting heftier penalties for stock thieves and illegal hunters. 

He also foreshadowed a number of rural operational, resourcing, and training changes were in the works for NSW police, and highlighted the appointment of Deputy Commissioner for Regional Field Operations, Gary Worboys.  

Livestock specific-recommendations include the ability for farmers to apply for a forced muster order, and a ‘deeming provision’ to provide certainty of ownership to those who harvest rangeland goats for commercial gain.

However, NSW Farmers said licensing rangeland goat operators wouldn’t decrease theft and would only add to the compliance burden on those operating within the law. 

“These legislative changes are only part of the picture that will enable for livestock-related crimes to be effectively addressed,” Association president Derek Schoen said. 

“The other key areas needing improvements are ensuring that operationally the policy are able to function, in that they are resourced to respond to rural crime and get convictions.

“A huge concern in the past has been the ability of farmers to report crimes and see an effective response from the police.”

Mr Schoen also wants clarification on how a victim’s ‘geographical isolation’ will be determined, in reference to it being a new aggravating factor in sentencing. 

“We are unsure how “geographical isolation” will be defined in the Act - geographically isolated from a neighbour, the closest town, a manned or unmanned police station, or geographically isolated in terms of Western Division?”

Mr Grant committed to working with the Rural Crime Advisory Group as further reforms are rolled out.

Far West graziers, meanwhile, say there should be an opportunity for farmers to review the recommendations in the Bradshaw Report and recommend changes before any new laws are legislated.  

“Most importantly, all these plans for improved policing are pointless if the judiciary does not support the constabulary by imposing appropriate penalties,” Pastoralists’ Association of West Darling president Lachlan Gall said.

“The recommended financial penalties are inadequate when compared to the value of livestock stolen, and pale into insignificance when compared to the maximum fines for possessing, transporting or releasing a feral pig.”

There were raised eyebrows that it has taken government 12 months to announce its recommendations from the Bradshaw report, but Police Minister Troy Grant put it down to legal diligence. 

Mr Bradshaw’s suite of changes were recommended to come under the umbrella of a new act entirely – something that wasn’t advisable, Mr Grant said. 

“It took a bit of time to digest because the recommendations weren’t written in a legal sense, by a lawyer, so we had to make sure that the big ask to consider a stand alone act... against the option of enhancing existing legislation,” Mr Grant said. 

“There was no real legal justification to create a standalone act. But there was scope to improve what we’ve got, and the changes reflect that.” 

Mr Grant said it would be important for police to reinstil confidence in rural landholders to report crime when it happens (“get them out of the apathy, or thinking it’s not worth it”).

He said by not reporting crime rural people were “cutting their nose off to spite their faces in some respects, because they want more resources, but they’re not reporting the level of crime out there to justify it.” 

“We’ve got a lot of work to do to rebuild confidence there. There are a lot of moving parts, and it is a real challenge, but I‘m really proud too.

“This is the first time in 30 years government has taken (rural crime) seriously, dedicated work to it, and enhanced legislation.” 

Mr Grant said new  Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys and Western Region Commander Geoff McKechnie were in the process of reviewing operations, staffing and strategy, with more changes expected to be in place by December. 

This could include more staff, or using one and two-man Police stations better, with a specific focus on rural crime.