What you need to know about Aussie Farms
From Aussie Farms’ Federal Government links to its director leaving his own farming family off the infamous map, The Weekly Times’ exclusive investigations have brought to light shocking revelations. See them all here.
ANIMAL activist group Aussie Farms outraged farmers, politicians and the general public when it launched an interactive satellite map earlier this year with the details of thousands of farmers.
The Weekly Times has been there from the start, with exclusive coverage of the real-life impact on rural Australians, the investigations and laws aimed at shutting the map down, and the shocking revelations of the infamous group’s connection to the Federal Government.
Here’s what you need to know.
AUSSIE FARMS CAUSES UPROAR
Aussie Farms is an animal activist group which wants to see animal agriculture abolished.
Its executive director is Chris Delforce, a web developer based in Melbourne.
The group was created in 2013 but made headlines in January this year when it launched an interactive satellite map which pinpoints the addresses and details of almost 6000 Australian farms.
The map was labelled an “attack map” by then Agriculture Minister David Littleproud and the Government called for it to be shut down.
READ: ANIMAL ACTIVIST GROUP’S NEW TRACKING MAP
FARMERS FEAR FOR THEIR SAFETY
Victorian Farmers Federation president David Jochinke says the map is taking a toll on farmers’ mental health due its false accusations.
At least two farmers on the map have closed their businesses this year after invasions.
John Gommans closed his Gippy Goat Cafe at Yarragon after 70 activists stormed his property and stole three goats and a lamb. The Weekly Times revealed one activist was fined just $1 for a biosecurity breach, and others who were placed on good behaviour bonds were protesting again just days after their court date.
A poultry farmer sold his Victorian property earlier this year after being left “psychologically damaged” from activist attacks, including one which he says resulted in 300 chickens smothering to death.
READ: FAMILY GETS OUT OF FARMING AFTER ACTIVIST ATTACKS
COVERING THEIR TRACKS
Less than two weeks after the map launched, The Weekly Times revealed Aussie Farms had removed questions from its membership form that could imply it supported its members breaking the law.
Aussie Farms removed questions that asked prospective members if they were “willing to be fined or arrested” and comfortable paricipating in outlined scenarios, such as entering private properties or “locking/chaining on inside slaughterhouses”.
It later added a disclaimer to the map itself saying, “Aussie Farms does not condone or encourage the use of this resource for illegal purposes including trespass”.
In August, The Weekly Times revealed the group’s plans to take its map global and spoke to international farming leaders about their concerns.
Agriculture Minister Bridget McKenzie labelled Aussie Farms and its supporters as selfish for using the “Aussie” name to denigrate the country’s reputation.
READ: AUSSIE FARMS REMOVES ILLEGAL ACTIVITY QUESTIONS
AUSSIE FARMS’ FEDERAL GOVERNMENT LINK
Dr Julie Delforce, a senior sector specialist with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s agricultural productivity and food security division, is linked to the Aussie Farms map.
The Weekly Times recently revealed Dr Delforce is the co-owner of Sozo Production, a web design company which has shared the same post office box as Aussie Farms, across three states, since 2014.
After this revelation DFAT conducted an internal investigation but found there was “no reason” Dr Delforce shouldn’t remain in her job.
The Weekly Times continued its own investigation revealing Dr Delforce is the co-owner of at least five animal activist websites that seek donations to fund farm trespass and livestock theft.
These five websites formed the Aussie Farms website.
DFAT admitted its investigation had not uncovered the sites and Dr Delforce was stood down immediately. An external investigation is now being conducted.
Dr Delforce is the mother of Aussie Farms executive director Chris Delforce.
READ: AG OFFICIAL STOOD DOWN OVER ACTIVIST WEBSITES
FAMILY COMES FIRST
The Weekly Times revealed Aussie Farms’ executive director Chris Delforce has at least one relative, who runs a cattle farm, who is not listed on his map.
This is despite Mr Delforce saying the map is “not opt-in transparency” when it launched earlier this year.
Mr Delforce is friends with his farming family member on Facebook, who publicly post photos of their farm.
He then claimed the map “never” listed individual farmers or their families, despite the fact that most of the farms listed on the map are family run.
Mr Delforce was slammed by farming leaders for being a hypocrite.
READ: CHRIS DELFORCE LEAVES HIS FAMILY OFF FARM MAP
SOMETHING SMELLS FISHY
The Aussie Farms map has been proven to contain multiple blunders.
The Weekly Times recently revealed one of Victoria’s largest vegetable farms and one of the country’s largest onion farms are on the map.
Aussie Farms said it mistook the properties for broiler or poultry farms and Mr Delforce admitted he didn’t actually know if all the farms listed on the map were actually farms.
The Weekly Times also revealed the Aussie Farms map mistook sewage ponds, owned by Goulburn Valley Water, for a fish farm.
READ: AUSSIE FARMS LISTS VEGIES ON ‘ANIMAL CRUELTY’ MAP
AUSSIE FARMS MISTAKES SEWERAGE FOR FISH
WILL THE AUSSIE FARMS MAP BE SHUT DOWN?
The Federal Government has called for the map to be shut down but an investigation into it is still ongoing, despite the investigation commencing seven months ago.
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner has been investigating Aussie Farms for breach of the Privacy Act but can’t say when its investigation is expected to conclude.
Farm leaders have called for a legal class action against the map but The National Farmers’ Federation would not say if it would use the Australian Farmers’ Fighting Fund to instigate legal proceedings.
The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission has revoked Aussie Farms’ charity status.
To this day the map is still live.
READ: ACTION TAKEN AGAINST AUSSIE FARMS
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