Farmers on the state’s best agricultural land have faced years of uncertainty because of complex red tape that threatens food production.
New analysis from NSW Farmers revealed a cloud over ongoing farm production on two-thirds of State Significant Agricultural Land because of conflicting mapping and land use definitions from the NSW Government.
NSW Farmers Vice President Rebecca Reardon said there was an urgent need for clarity and co-ordination from government so farmers could get on with the job of growing food and fibre without worrying about inaccurate maps and indecipherable restrictions.
“It’s simply not good enough for government to slap a restrictive map layer nearly the size of Tasmania over the state’s best farmland, and then drag their feet for over two-and-a-half years failing to give farmers clear guidelines on what they can and can’t do on their land,” Mrs Reardon said.
“We’re calling for a truly independent, fully-resourced Agriculture Commission”.
Under state laws there were fines of up to $1.65 million for corporations or $330,000 for individuals for breaching environmental protections, but the guidelines on what continuing agricultural uses would be permitted in listed zones was years overdue.
“It’s time governments recognised they need to work with farmers rather than tying them up with spools of red tape,” Mrs Reardon said.
“Australia experienced a 14 per cent decline in land used for food and fibre production between 1973 and 2017, a loss of about 106 million hectares.