‘Government are not landing on the side of farmers’

Hear from VFF presidential candidates Danyel Cucinotta and Brett Hosking on climate priorities, transmission lines, and transparency in the final week of voting.

Farmers’ voices must be at the centre of climate decisions, VFF candidates say, as they identify mining, transmission lines and renewables as key issues for the future of agriculture.

“Government are not landing on the side of farmers at the moment and that needs to change,” candidate Brett Hosking said.

“It’s important to recognise the discussions around renewable energy, transmission lines and mineral sands are really big issues for farmers at the moment … We need to make sure the farmer gets a voice in their land, district and community, at the moment that’s not happening and it’s a massive fail of those involved.”

VFF voting closes on Friday for president and vice president roles, as presidential candidates Mr Hosking and Danyel Cucinotta say farmers need a voice on climate decisions.

Ms Cucinotta who is the current VFF vice-president, hoped to see transmission lines underground, and large-scale strategies to incorporate agriculture. Ms Cucinotta said the Victorian government must not mandate global targets, and decisions around climate were about being practical.

“We all need energy, we all need food, but you can’t look at them as single-item pillars. Everything has to coexist in one life cycle, and it’s important we get the government to understand that,” she said.

“We know we have different requirements on how we farm, and we’re farming to the complexities of the Australian landscape and needs.”

Ms Cucinotta, a third-generation Werribee region egg farmer, said the renewable target was creating competition between energy and agriculture, and “we need to ensure the government understands agriculture is to be valued”.

“We recognise we can coexist, but not at the expense of farmers and farming communities,” Ms Cucinotta said.

Danyel Cucinotta. Picture: Zoe Phillips

Mr Hosking said his top priority was to ensure “farmers have a voice”.

He believed there must be further investment in research and development, biosecurity, extension officers and services.

“We’re on the right track in agriculture, but we need to be recognised and we need more support from the government if we’re going to step it up and turbo charge it,” he said.

Mr Hosking is currently on a leave of absence from his Farmers for Climate Action board director position and said he was undecided on his return due to time availability.

Brett Hosking. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

He is a no-tillage farm, manages fertiliser inputs and crop rotations, maintains ground cover where possible, and uses strategical grazing.

Voting will close for this year’s VFF president and vice-president positions on Friday.