Victoria’s regional communities and farmers must not bear the consequences of the Federal Government’s recently passed Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
The Bill is set to speed up decision-making for projects like housing, renewable energy and critical minerals.
Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) President Brett Hosking said it must not be seen as a green-light to bypass community consultation and leaders must understand the massive contribution agriculture and regional Victoria makes to the economy.
“While the intent of faster, more predictable approvals can be seen as good, the specific focus on a faster rollout of renewables and critical minerals projects will leave many farmers nervous.”
“Most farmers will treat this announcement with trepidation and for very good reasons. Time and time again they’ve been ignored in the face of infrastructure developments and this move can’t be seen as full steam ahead.”
“The voice of regional Victora matters and this Bill doesn’t trump that. It’s so important that the community continues to have a voice and for approvals to properly weigh the impacts on farmland.”
“Victoria is home to Australia’s best farmland. We produce a quarter of the nation’s food from just three per cent of its arable land. It’s not empty space ripe for development,” Mr Hosking said.
Mr Hosking added it’s crucial all levels of government engage with the agriculture industry before pressing ahead with the implementation of the Bill.
“It’s critical that the government and the new EPA adopt a proactive approach of working with farmers to help them comply, rather than simply bringing a big stick.”
“This could be a fork in the road moment. We’re urging the government to talk to us and understand the implications of the decisions they make. To date, they haven’t done that and now the ball is in their court,” Mr Hosking said.
The VFF’s petition to help protect Victorian farmland has been signed more than six thousand times since it launched last week. Click here for more details.