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Farmers fear for rights to land
18 Nov 2003
New South Wales farmers claim they will lose the right to manage their farms if the Native Vegetation Bill is passed in State Parliament tonight. If the legislation is passed, farmers charged under the Bill with clearing their land illegally must prove the clearing was either excluded from or permitted by the Act.
Farming groups slammed the State Government on November 17 for denying farmers the right to natural justice by reversing the onus of proof.
National Party leader Andrew Stoner said the legislation makes farmers guilty until proven innocent. The 27,000-word legislation is ambiguous and if a farmer fells one tree to make a fence post he could be prosecuted for "broadscale clearing", Mr Stoner claimed.
The new legislation will require farmers to submit a management plan for their properties to local community committees, which will then report back to the State Government.
In September 2003, it was revealed that farmers would be paid more than $400 million to stop cutting down trees, in a bid to end broadscale land-clearing.
The Daily Telegraph, 18/11/03, page 2.
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