Securing a future for our farmers

There's an old saying that they're not making any more dirt, and how we plan to protect our agricultural land in all regions remains a critical issue. This was one of the main reasons we fought so hard for our Agriculture Commissioner, and why we want to see that role legislated with some real power, because once we lose the land we can never get it back.

However, the government's announcement about the Liverpool Plains last week brought with it a few raised eyebrows about the execution of their commitment to protect this land. The state government has purchased these parcels of land from the mining company at no small cost, and has tasked Local Land Services to actively manage this land "to safeguard the areas with environmental and cultural significance".

Few would argue that farmers have long managed land use to balance the local environment with production, because healthy soils and vegetation are good for the farmer and the community in the long run. But balancing environmental and productive uses does not necessarily require government ownership of the land.

NSW Farmers welcomes a renewed commitment to recognise that changing the use of this land away from agriculture would be incompatible with vibrant healthy farming regions, and we strongly advocate for governments to work with farmers to avoid undermining agricultural investment. But threats remain over agricultural land investment elsewhere in the state with mining and gas exploration.

Make no mistake, this is a positive move from the government, and we will continue to advocate for the eradication of the Petroleum Exploration Licences that dot our landscape. But we also need to make sure our valuable farmland does not become a biodiversity offset for Sydney, because once our dirt is gone, there's no getting it back.

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