Tasmanian farmers are being unfairly targeted by the state’s forestry regulator, a crossbench MP says, with the premier now signalling he is willing to look at the system.
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP Carlo Di Falco raised concerns in question time this week about a $100,000 fine handed to an east coast farmer for unauthorised land clearing.
Di Falco told parliament on Tuesday the landowner had acknowledged his mistake, cooperated with the Forest Practices Authority (FPA) and proposed remediation works.
He argued the penalty was excessive and said the FPA had become too heavy-handed.
“Farmers are fed-up with the increasing regulation they are confronted with,” he said.
Di Falco asked whether the FPA was now “weighted more towards punishment and bureaucracy than practical environmental outcomes”.
He returned to the issue on Wednesday, telling parliament farmers had shown him “overwhelming support” after his initial question.
“The farming community is saying to us that these forestry regulations are out of control,” he said.
“When will you act to support our farmers against this bureaucratic red tape and allow them to do what they do best?”
Premier Jeremy Rockliff said he was willing to look at a “common-sense position” for farmers caught up in the system.
“I am more than willing and open to take advice to see what can be done to ensure a common-sense position is taken where farmers are unfairly targeted,” he said.
“I believe there is a balance needed here. We need to back in our productive sectors, our farmers, to ensure that they have a fair legal regime, but an opportunity to ensure their land is as productive as possible.”
Rockliff said he had heard the frustration from farmers on King Island and the east coast and was aware of others across the state who were “utterly devastated” by what they were hearing.
The premier said he was not across the details of the case and did not commit to any specific review of the forest practices system.
Business, Industry and Resources Minister Felix Ellis defended the regulator on Tuesday.
Ellis told Parliament the clearing included 7.1 hectares of a threatened native vegetation community, along with an additional 11.5 hectares of trees.
He said the vegetation provided important habitat for native wildlife, including the endangered swift parrot.
Ellis told parliament the FPA had engaged constructively with the landowner to seek remediation, but no agreement could be reached.
The matter was then referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
“The Forest Practices Authority’s decision-making has clearly been upheld by the courts in this process,” he said.
Ellis said the court, not the regulator, set the fine.
Chief Forest Practices Officer Anne Chuter defended the prosecution earlier this month, saying unauthorised clearing gave offenders “an unfair advantage over landowners who comply with the law”.
“In this case, the landowner derived agricultural benefit by clearing and converting forests that could not be lawfully cleared due to their significant environmental values,” she said.
