Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association (TFGA), Media Release, 26 October 2023

Tasmanian Farmers have backed a national advocacy campaign in the fight against anti-farming policies that impact our farmers.

Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers (TFGA) President Ian Sauer said the farmers across Australia have united in a call for federal politicians to say no to government policy which is putting billions in farm production at risk.

“Farmers continue to put food on the table and clothes on our backs in Australia, but the policy choices of those in Canberra are making it difficult and more complex to keep farms running.

“Poor decision-making and lack of sound judgment are resulting in policy settings that threaten to take away our farmer’s water, land and labour needed to produce food and fibre for the nation,” he said.

The National Farmers is driving what is being called the ‘Keep Farmers Farming campaign’, which is fully supported by its member organisations including the TFGA.

This campaign will raise awareness of key issues such as the water buybacks in the Murray Darling Basin; the proposed ban of live sheep exports to the Middle East; A lack of workers on farms and in the food and fibre supply chain; stifling environmental laws; transmission lines and competition policy.

This campaign comes on the back of a recent national survey of more than 1600 farmers which found the farming sector is losing confidence in and has reservations about the Albanese Government.

The survey found the majority of farmers (54.3 per cent) thought the Federal Government’s policies were harming the industry, and only 31.2 per cent thought they were doing a good job for farmers.

We urge farmers and our community to rally behind the campaign and send a clear single message of support by signing an open letter to the Prime Minister, contacting their Local MP or Making a donation to the campaign.

“The government in coming months will be making critical decisions that threaten to reduce billions in farm production. We need the support of everyone to make sure the industry has the best possible policy settings that will keep farmers farming,” he said.

Specific outcomes sought as part of the “Keep Farmers Farming” campaign include:

• Blockage of the Water Amendment (Restoring Our Rivers) Bill, which lifts the cap on water buybacks in the Murray Darling Basin;
• Abandonment of plans to ban live sheep exports to the Middle East;
• A shake-up of Australia’s competition laws to secure a fair deal for consumers and farmers;
• A dedicated visa pathway for agricultural workers;
• A mandatory code of conduct for transmission projects; and
• Balanced reform of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act) to maintain productive land use.

For more information, head to keepfarmersfarming.org.au.

Related story: New President launches national campaign against anti-farming policies: NFF