Page 15 - NPN November22

Biosecurity plans to include trespass risk
CREATING and imple- menting a biosecurity plan will help protect your livestock from the threat of pests, weeds and dis- eases, however the current templates available do not include trespass as an en- try pathway.
that activist trespass activ- ity has a significant impact on the health, safety and se- curity of farmers and their families.
expected out of fear for their safety and that farm- ers feel “traumatised” by activist trespass.
Pollard explained that tres- pass on his property has led to footage being uploaded to YouTube and “inciting hatred – emails, letters and telephone calls, which made Mr Pollard and his family feel unsafe and question their involvement in the industry.
With recent changes to animal welfare standards and guidelines, it is clear that consumer concern has had an impact and trans- parency is healthy.
3.5 The Attorney-Gener- al’s Department submitted that trespass can ‘make farmers, their families and their employees feel unsafe and intimidated, including in their own homes’, and that farmers have a right to privacy on their land.
3.10 The NFF also high- lighted the fact that many farms are situated in re- mote locations which are hundreds of kilometres from the nearest enforce- ment agency or nearest neighbour.
3.14 A director of Ausveg submitted that, similar to “gangs of youths trespass- ing upon urban houses,” animal activists trespassing upon farms “cause shock, distress, anger” and dam- age to property.
Everyone has the right to live on their property without unlawful invasion.
Not all animal activists enter properties unlawfully to get their message across. Photo: Animal Activist Collective
But what of illegal access onto farms and the risk that poses to biosecurity and other areas of farm safety?
3.6 Farming groups said trespass has significant impacts on the wellbeing of farmers, especially as many live on their farms.
So they are increasingly vulnerable to attacks and intimidation, and that just exacerbates the fear and anxiety that some of these families are facing.
In September 2019, a sen- ate committee conducted an inquiry and proposed a Criminal Code Amend- ment (Agricultural Protec- tion) Bill, which would in- troduce two new offences relating to the use of a carriage service to incite trespass, property offences or other offences on agri- cultural land.
The Victorian Farmers Federation said, “The com- mittee should understand that this is your commu- nity, your livelihood, your house, that people are com- ing to.”
3.11 Mr Christopher Del- force from Aussie Farms Inc refuted these reported impacts, arguing that “in 45 years of activists docu- menting and uncovering abuse on farms and in slaughterhouses, there has not been a single incident of an activist going any- where near the homes of farmers.”
3.15 Industry representa- tives proposed that the leg- islation would bring “com- fort” to farmers, meat pro- cessors and other primary producers, and help to keep more people engaged in the agricultural sector. Biosecurity, health and safety
In Chapter 3 of the bill, the possible impacts are ad- dressed, taking into consid- eration the potential posi- tive impacts of the legisla- tion on the safety and se- curity of farmers and their families, as well as the role the bill may play in protect- ing biosecurity, health and safety on agricultural land.
3.7 Australian Dairy Farmers Ltd reported that farmers “are scared to leave their elderly parents at home to take care of the farm” in case of activist incursions.
Mr Delforce argued that activists pose no safety risk to farmers and are “non- violent.”
3.16 Farming groups, meat processing indus- try representatives and the Department of Agri- culture detailed negative impacts of trespass on bi- osecurity, health and safety, including the potential for the introduction of disease pathogens, the introduction of food contaminants, and potential injury to workers, stock animals and activists themselves.
The following are ex- cerpts from this chapter. Safety and security of farmers and their fami- lies
3.9 Farming groups re- ported examples of farm- ers sending their families away from their properties when protest activity was
3.12 In contrast, Austral- ian Pork Limited submitted that a number of photos up- loaded to the Aussie Farms website include close im- ages of farmers’ homes, which has caused distress to these farmers.
3.17 Aussie Farms argued that activists are careful to avoid any contamina- tion, wearing “single-use full-body coveralls and
3.4 The committee heard
3.13 Pork farmer Mr Ean
* continued P16
www.poultrynews.com.au
National Poultry Newspaper, November 2022 – Page 15
“That undermines confi- dence.”
3.8 The National Farmers Federation argued that the bill will help to reduce the threat to farmers of their homes, properties and busi- nesses being invaded by extreme activists who are philosophically opposed to animal farming.
He further stated that ac- tivists have not harmed any farmers, but reported that he personally knows activ- ists who claim to have been assaulted by farmers.