Farmers gain extra protection from illegal animal rights activists

DAIRY INDUSTRY REVIEW: Grant District and Wattle Range councils have jointly conducted a review into the region's multi-million-dollar dairy sector.

Geoff Agnew TBW Newsgroup
GREATER PENALTIES: Furner farm manager Geoff Agnew has backed a State Government proposal to deter trespassers on farms.

FURNER farm manager Geoff Agnew has backed the State Government’s introduction of stronger trespass laws, with animal activists facing fines of up to $10,000 under the draft bill.

Individuals caught trespassing on private production land and interfering with the conduct of primary production activities on the land would face 12 months jail under the proposed laws.

Mr Agnew has worked for the Baker Group for the past 33 years and said the stronger penalties were justified.

According to Mr Agnew, there were biosecurity risks from such intrusions.

“I strongly support the State Government proposals as we have standards to uphold,” Mr Agnew said.

“These agitators should not come willy-nilly on to our farms and trample about.

“The farms are our homes and our businesses.

“Sometimes they go to court and only get a rap over the knuckles.

“Perhaps these protestors should instead spend a weekend on a farm and see how they operate.”

In his managerial role, Mr Agnew oversees the sheep and cropping aspects of the Baker Group but he is well aware of the potential for damage by trespassers at piggeries and dairies.

“There are strict standards in place and they could be wiped out,” he said.

Mr Agnew said the Furner properties had not been bothered by any protests by animal activists.

“There have not been any thefts from the farms as we have CCTV cameras and signage in place.”

The bill, which is currently open to public consultation, creates a new offence specifically for farm trespassing, with a doubling of penalties and stronger enforcement of breaches.

Meanwhile, MacKillop MP Nick McBride said it was “unfortunate” tougher laws and harsher penalties needed to be implemented to guarantee the bio-security and safety of farming operations.

“Farmers should be able to go about their business without the threat of protesters entering and damaging their private property,” he said.

Mr McBride encouraged people to review the proposed changes and provide input during the community consultation period which closes on October 4.

South Australia’s peak organisation representing beef cattle and sheep producers has also welcomed the changes.

Livestock SA president Joe Keynes welcomed the announcement on the tougher farm trespass laws, saying there was currently inadequate legislative structure around the laws of trespass.

“Farms are legal businesses and farmers are going about their businesses in a legal and ethical way,” he said.

“Quite often it is not just a place of business, it is a place of residence for families including young children which is a concern when people trespass.

“There are also very significant biosecurity risks that can flow from the offences and the penalties need to reflect the serious impacts.”

Currently under state law, the maximum fine for trespassing is $2500 and individuals caught trespassing on land can be banned for 24 hours.

The State Government’s draft bill proposes doubling the fine to a maximum of $5000 where trespassing occurs on a farm.

The penalties for interfering with farm gates would double to $1500 and penalties for disturbing farm animals would increase from $750 to $2500 or a prison term of six months.

Attorney-General Vickie Chapman said the changes struck a balance between the right to protest and free speech and the need to ensure adequate legal protections for the primary production sector.

She said vigilante activists who trespass onto a farm to promote their cause were breaking the law and must be held accountable.

“Animal rights activists are tremendously passionate about their cause but trespassing and causing damage on private property is not an acceptable way of getting a message across,” she said.

The State Government bill complements a proposed Federal law which will create new offences for the incitement of trespass, property damage or theft on agricultural land.

Fines of more than $12,000 and up to five years imprisonment have been floated by the Commonwealth Government.