Farm leaders: Legal class action needed for ‘defamatory’ Aussie Farms map

Farming leaders are calling for a legal class action against activist group Aussie Farms and its “defamatory” map, which is still live nine months on — despite new laws and an official investigation.

Graphic for The Weekly Times story on Aussie Farms.

FARMING leaders are calling for a legal class action against controversial animal activist group Aussie Farms and its “defamatory” map.

The map, which was launched over nine months ago listing the details of farms and businesses across the country, has been slammed by farmers and politicians, but despite the introduction of new laws and an official investigation — the map is still live.

Victorian Farmers Federation vice-president Emma Germano said the next step should be farmers uniting against Mr Delforce’s claims that the map pinpoints places “known or suspected to be engaging in animal cruelty or exploitation”.

“It’s not the information that’s a weapon, it’s the reason behind why the map exists,” she said. “It would be great to see a class action against Aussie Farms … it’s defamatory.”

Ms Germano said she did not understand why an authority had not taken the map down, but actions being taken, such as new federal laws, were a step in the right direction.

“It’s important we’re doing all the things because there’s no magic answer,” she said.

STORY CONTINUES AFTER TIMELINE

online artwork october 23 aussie famrs timeline

The National Farmers’ Federation would not say if it would use the Australian Farmers’ Fighting Fund to instigate legal proceedings against Aussie Farms, despite The Weekly Times revealing there could be an opportunity for farmers to take legal action.

Macpherson Kelley litigation lawyer Samantha McGeogh recently told The Weekly Times Mr Delforce risked legal action by drawing links between the farmers on the map and animal cruelty.

“If Mr Delforce is unable to back up those claims then he could potentially open himself up to a defamation claim by those farmers or their families whose names have been included on the map,” she said.

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Federal Agriculture Minister Bridget McKenzie could not assure farmers the Aussie Farms map would be shut down.

“The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner is currently considering whether to take action against Aussie Farms and it would be inappropriate to comment on that process while it is underway,” Senator McKenzie said.

The OAIC has been investigating Aussie Farms for compliance with the Privacy Act for the past six months, but would not say when the investigation was expected to conclude. New laws introduced last month, mean it is now illegal to use the internet to incite trespass, property damage and livestock theft. But the Department of Agriculture and the Australian Federal Police both refused to disclose if anyone was actually being investigated under the new laws.

Former Agriculture Minister David Littleproud, who labelled the map an “attack map”, wrote to the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission eight months ago asking it to consider removing Aussie Farms’ charity status, but it is still a registered charity.

ACNC would not say if it was investigating Aussie Farms and a spokesman said legislation prevented it from commenting on individual charities.