NSW Minister for Primary Industries Niall Blair and Federal Minister for Agriculture Barnaby Joyce have jointly hosted a roundtable discussion to discuss the serious and potentially devastating issue of farm trespass.
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The talks were held at the Elizabeth Macarthur Agriculture Institute at Camden and attended by all key stakeholders in this space, including representatives from other states and territories, NSW Police, RSPCA NSW and a range of industry groups, including NSW Farmers.
Mr Blair said the NSW government is advocating for a national policy to protect farmers and crack down on the illegal practices of animal welfare activists and others who trespass on farms.
"The NSW government has already developed and released a policy on this issue, the NSW Farm Incursions Policy, and today represented an excellent opportunity to discuss a truly national approach in more detail," Mr Blair said.
"Let's be clear - to break and enter is a crime and all farmers have the right to be protected against unauthorised persons on their property."
- Barnaby Joyce, Federal Minister for Agriculture.
"The issue is of national concern, but together we are united in this fight - producers, animal welfare enforcement agencies, industry associations, individual farmers, police and government."
Mr Blair will report next year to AGMIN, the meeting of all primary industries ministers from Australia and New Zealand on how the implementation of the NSW Farm Incursion Policy is progressing.
Minister Joyce said there were enormous benefits in having a nationally-consistent and co-ordinated approach to this issue, and the forum was an opportunity for a frank and forward discussion.
"People who illegally enter farms and conduct unlawful surveillance not only cause distress to farmers and animals, they disrupt vital business practices and can even injure or kill animals, causing widespread production losses," Minister Joyce said.
"Farm trespass can also potentially spread devastating diseases, and puts at risk the lawful practices of our world-leading farmers right across Australia.
"Let's be clear - to break and enter is a crime and all farmers have the right to be protected against unauthorised persons on their property."
