Concern Nature Positive plan “detrimental” to farming

Farmers are concerned the federal government’s Nature Positive plan puts the future of conventional farming at risk.

Farmers are concerned the federal government’s Nature Positive plan puts the future of conventional farming at risk.

Fear rather than positivity is the overriding sentiment among farmers as the federal government pushes ahead with the second stage of the three-part plan, which is an overhaul of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

The government says it is designed to “deliver stronger environment powers, faster environment approvals and better environment information and transparency”.

National Farmers’ Federation president David Jochinke in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Martin Ollman

But the National Farmers’ Federation has serious reservations.

“Farmers are extremely concerned about the reforms and whether they will be detrimental to agriculture,” NFF president David Jochinke said.

“Already the EPBC Act is not well understood, it is difficult to manage at a practical, landscape level and often conflicts with state-based legislation.”

Despite being packaged up into the innocuous sounding Nature Positive plan, the complex legislation runs to more than 1100 pages.

The NFF says it “consistently sought clarity, greater consistency and empathy from the government on just how difficult it is to manage a farm landscape in the context of constantly changing environmental laws” since the reforms were released in April.

The NFF’s concerns range from the extent of powers afforded to the proposed national Environment Protection Agency, to the protection of farmers’ privacy, to the safeguarding of “business as usual” farming practices that could be undermined by “unreasonable thresholds”.

The national farming organisation holds grave reservations about the inclusion of a climate trigger – vetting projects based on their emissions – a wish of the Greens whose vote is required for the passing of the legislation through the senate.

Nationals deputy leader Perin Davey said the legislation had been written without adequate consultation and the potential to lead to further cost and delay for investment in regional Australia.

“Any response (to a review of the EPBC Act) needs to strike the right balance between preserving the environment and growing the economy. Labor’s Nature Policy Bill does not do that,” Ms Davey said.