Farmers furious about animal activist group’s new tracking map

A nationwide map of Australian farms released this week by animal activists has drawn accusations it could encourage people to commit crime.

Animal activist group Aussie Farms new map tracks farms across the country.

A NATIONWIDE map of Australian farms released this week by animal activists has drawn accusations it could encourage people to commit crime.

Animal rights group Aussie Farms released the interactive satellite map “to force transparency on an industry dependent on secrecy”, encouraging the public to upload photos and videos of the farms.

Almost 6000 farms and businesses are on the map.

Included are farmers and businesses that have developed reputations and profiles for their high levels of animal welfare accreditation or environmental stewardship.

Paul Sheedy, manager of Radford Meats at Warragul, which is listed on the map, told The Weekly Times it was “very concerning” activists were encouraging people to potentially trespass on farms and abattoirs.

Mr Sheedy said authorities had to take a firmer approach to activists who broke the law.

“There does not seem to be strong enough consequences applied, and it is up to lawmakers, not us, to enforce it.”

He said Radfords had always been an “open house abattoir” and was transparent with its animal welfare and traceability programs.

Two dairy farms listed on the map are under the names Stuart Tweddle and Keith and Sally Tweddle in Gippsland.

Stuart Tweddle told The Weekly Times the map was “in error, those two farms are not operating any more”.

“I have no interest in commenting about people (activists) who have these malicious intents,” he said.

Chrome Sheep Studs principal Matt Tonissen, near Hamilton, is one of three Victorian sheep or wool farms listed on the map.

Mr Tonissen said he was shocked his family’s farm was singled out and was at a loss as to what had sparked activists’ interest.

“It is a very difficult one and hard to know what lengths these people could go to,” he said.

“All we are doing is running our small business and trying to make a living, like everyone else.”

Victorian Farmers Federation president David Jochinke told The Weekly Times “enough is enough”. The VFF wants Aussie Farms’ charity status revoked and has called on police to investigate footage uploaded to the site and how it was obtained.

NSW Farmers is also calling on the organisations charity status to be removed.

“It is highly disturbing that those who oppose farming feel they have an unfettered right to enter our properties and our homes,” NSW Farmers’ vice president Chris Groves said.

Agriculture Minister David Littleproud slammed the map as anonymous farm shaming “with no real outcomes for animal welfare”.

Mr Littleproud said it could create an “attack map for activists”.

Aussie Farms executive director Chris Delforce likened the map to the Yellow Pages, saying it “takes information that is already available publicly” and said its purpose was about “laying everything bare”.

“It shows how these horrific places that most people wouldn’t support, have essentially taken over the country,” Mr Delforce said.

He said photos and videos were moderated and did not appear publicly until verified.

University of Melbourne criminal justice professor Jeremy Gans said the Aussie Farms map and posts “could be seen as inciting someone to commit a crime”.

“If it can be proven that their purpose is to get people to trespass, or steal, intentionally, then it could be incitement to commit a crime. But it would be a marginal argument.”

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