ON THE LAND… For Pine Point farmers Sue and Brenton Davey, any step toward the protection of prime agricultural land would be a positive move and enable them to confidently plan for the future.
FAMILY First plans to draw up amendments to the Mining Act to provide farmers with more protection.
The party is not opposed to mining but believes farmers should not have their right to farm threatened by mining companies, MLC Robert Brokenshire said.
“The mining act is stacked in favour of mining companies,” Mr Brokenshire said.
“While it may require companies to obtain a waiver from a landholder before carrying out activities on cultivated land, it also allows courts to take the right away from the farmer.
“We need to ensure there are no-go zones in this state to protect sensitive farming areas and we need to make sure nobody can interfere with the legitimate use of agricultural land.” Pine Point farmer Brenton Davey said any step towards the protection of prime agricultural land, particularly on Yorke Peninsula, would be positive.
“With manufacturing virtually gone and mining in the decline, farming is still the backbone of the economy in this state,” Mr Davey said.
“Farming in this day and age isn’t like it was in the 1960s, it is a multi-billion dollar industry.
“We can’t increase the amount of land we can farm, but the fact is by 2050 we will have to double production on that land.
“There’s no doubt little by little mining leases are gradually dwindling away the agricultural land we so desperately need.
“Both the government and opposition like to trot out our clean and green credentials, but where are the actual policies to protect this? “If they aren’t going to stand up now and support farmers, it’s high time we found a party that will.”
Jenny OLDLAND JOURNALIST Country Times 1/9/15
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