Big leap for farm trespass safeguards 

Family farms will soon have some vital safeguards from illegal trespassers with the passage of the Right to Farm Bill in the NSW Parliament. 

NSW Farmers’ Chief Executive, Pete Arkle, has marked the passage of the Bill as a win for farmers and local food and fibre production. 

“The debate around new laws has clouded their intent.  They are simply about providing some protections for our family farms from invasions of animal activists and illegal trespassers.

“Farms are a home and farms are a business, and just like residential homes and businesses, farmers want some laws imposed on people who enter their property without any notification.

“That is why NSW Farmers has had a loud voice on this issue over many years.  It was a key part of the state election campaign and it is fantastic to see this support for farming families delivered.

“We recognise the hard work of the Coalition Government and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party in delivering this outcome.  We are disappointed that the opposition continued to question the intent of the Right to Farm Bill and that the Greens did not support it”.

Mr Arkle said the release of the Aussie Farms map at the start of the year had highlighted the desperate need for farmers to be afforded greater protections. 

“This highly misleading map encouraged people to trespass on family farms without any consideration of privacy or the impact on families, their employees and animals.

“Ill-informed animal activists are not the only concern for farmers in terms of farm trespass.  Farmers also have to deal with illegal hunters and other people entering their farms without any notification”.

The Bill includes new laws that will protect agricultural practices from the vexatious nuisance claims that are causing conflict and increasing production costs for farmers.

This is an important first step toward enshrining a regional planning act framework that gives certainty to a right to farm. 

Date: Wednesday 13 November 2019
Media Contact:  Michael Burt  | 0428 228 988 | [email protected]