To be clear, as farmers we aren’t anti-progress. We are, however, after a voice and a say on land that is irreplaceable and has been farmed, in some cases, for generations.
Victoria’s agricultural land is an asset of enormous value, and it demands protection. It is an economic engine room, supporting more than 150,000 jobs and contributing over $20 billion to our economy each year.
We are Australia’s food bowl, and our farmland is a national treasure. From just three per cent of the country’s arable land, we produce nearly a quarter of the nation’s food. Farmers not only grow what feeds our communities, but also steward our state’s remarkable biodiversity and lead the way in the emissions reduction our planet urgently requires.
The soil we farm is irreplaceable, and governments across Australia need to hear that message clearly.
Productive farmland is under pressure from competing land uses, housing developments, mining proposals, transmission projects and large-scale energy infrastructure. The pace at which we are losing prime agricultural land is alarming. In just a decade, more than 100,000 hectares have been lost to housing alone, an area equivalent to 6500 MCGs.
So, as we see more and more development in areas where we farm, what are we after? We must have smarter, more responsible approach to land-use planning. It needs to place food security, community needs and long-term sustainability at the centre.
We’re not calling for development to halt, we’re calling for it to be done with foresight, respect and genuine consideration for the future.
It’s time Victoria recognised its farmers and rural communities as icons worthy of celebration, for their contribution to our economy, our society and our environment.
– VFF president Brett Hosking
28°C