Agricultural land is an invaluable finite resource crucial for Australia’s ongoing prosperity and wellbeing. Balancing competing land use while protecting agricultural production requires a strategic, whole of government approach to land use decision making. New developments of any kind must be done in a manner that is sensitive to the impacts on agricultural land and takes all reasonable steps to avoid or minimise adverse effects on communities, landholders and the environment.
GRAINGROWERS SUPPORTS
- The prioritisation of prime agricultural land and water resources in land use planning to protect Australia’s food security.
- A nationally coordinated approach to agricultural land use planning.
- Early, ongoing, and meaningful engagement and communication with landholders and communities about proposed development sites.
- Procedural fairness to ensure that affected landholders and communities have reasonable opportunities to engage with decision making that can, or will, impact their lives and livelihoods.
GRAINGROWERS RECOGNISES
- Agricultural land is a finite, irreplaceable resource.
- Australia’s food security is dependent on continued access to high quality land and water resources.
- The importance of securing new energy and housing developments, however, this must be done in a manner that is sensitive to the impacts on agricultural land and takes all reasonable steps to avoid or minimise adverse effects on communities, landholders, and the environment.
- Balancing Australia’s future housing and energy needs with protecting agricultural production requires a strategic, whole of government approach to land use decision making.
- Local, state, and federal governments all play a role in protecting agricultural land use.
- There are often significant power imbalances between land holders and developers, such as mining and energy companies, that lead to inequitable outcomes.
- The need for certainty in the regulatory framework to support long-term investment for the sustainable development and management of prime agricultural land.
GRAINGROWERS SEEKS
- The development of a national agriculture strategy to guide Australia’s vision for long term and sustainable production of food and fibre.
- Nationally consistent classifications for prime agricultural land.
- Fair compensation for landholders and communities affected by land use developments such as wind farms and transmission lines.
- That the Australian Government facilitates an enforceable code to ensure future transmission lines are placed in the landscape with proper consultation and appropriate compensation without adverse impacts on existing land use.
- Compensation formulae to ensure landowners receive appropriate compensation for loss of income, decrease in property value and other associated costs.
- Ongoing evaluation and monitoring of the environmental impacts of developments such as mining sites and transmission lines.