Irate farmers hit back at greens’ ‘bullying’ tactics

Conservation groups are conducting their own ‘crowdsourced’ investigations into alleged illegal tree clearing on farms. Farmers say they’re misinformed and called it out as intimidation.

Conservation groups are launching their own land clearing investigations. Picture: Kerry Trapnell / The Wilderness Society

Conservation groups are conducting their own investigations into alleged illegal tree clearing and writing directly to farmers to warn of supposed breaches.

The tactic has been described as “bullying” and “intimidation” but the Australian Conservation Foundation says it is frustrated by inadequate environmental protection legislation and a lack of government enforcement.

The organisation has been carrying out its own “crowd-sourced investigations” since March using satellite imagery to fill a supposed gap in monitoring by authorities.

In a letter seen by The Australian, a NSW farmer was told by the ACF that it believed he was in breach of the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act and threatened him with “further action” and public statements about the clearing.

“The ACF has identified potentially illegal land clearing on your property,” the letter read.

“The clearing has the potential to impact environmental values of national significance. We are unable to locate approval for the clearing under Australia’s national environment law.”

The farmer, who asked not to be named, told The Australian the clearing had been done in compliance with legislation and he had previously been in touch with the state environment department about it to check if all was in order.

He said the letter, which he ­received earlier this month, was an act of intimidation.

“We’ve got a property vegetation plan in place to control some native invasive species,” the farmer said.

“We’ve had a tough 12 months as it is and then you get these bully boy tactics where they haven’t checked their facts.

“I have full faith that the system is working and yet these guys take it upon themselves to come and threaten and carry on.

“West of the Great Dividing Range seems to have a bigger divide than ever with the cities.”

Nationals leader David Littleproud said the interference by the ACF should not be tolerated. He said he had written to Charities Commissioner Sue Woodward calling for her to revoke the group’s charitable status.

“The tone of ACF’s letter is clearly intimidatory,” Mr Littleproud said.

“I believe the ACF’s conduct now needs to be reviewed, to ensure it is meeting its behavioural responsibilities as a charity.

“The interference of the ACF should not be tolerated by ordinary Australians.

“The states already impose strict vegetation regulative frameworks on farmers through punitive vegetation protection laws.”

The ACF said it had extended its investigative capacity since March when it called on volunteers to help monitor land clearing using satellite imagery.

“More than 2000 volunteers signed up to examine satellite ­pictures and check for significant changes to vegetation cover,” ACF national nature campaigner Jess Abrahams said.

“These volunteers scanned more than 3,681,000 hectares of at-risk native habitat. Where we identify land clearing, our team undertakes a rigorous analysis of threatened species records, satellite imagery, vegetation mapping and we consult the register of EPBC approvals, before contacting the landholder.”

Mr Abrams said the ACF tried to work collaboratively with farmers, some of whom were not aware of the law when it came to tree clearing.

Mr Abrams said the group was motivated by Australia’s “extinction crisis” and believed that state and federal governments were not doing enough to monitor and enforce breaches of vegetation management legislation.

“It shouldn’t be up to environment groups and citizen scientists to monitor for breaches of our national environment protection law,” he said.

“It’s the responsibility of the federal government. Budgets for awareness raising, monitoring and enforcement have been slashed and Australia’s unique wildlife is paying the price.”