New Working Basis between DEC and Farmers/landowners, Gardiner
Author: Philip Gardiner
Published on: 04-April-2011
The Upper House Nationals Member for the Agricultural Region, Hon Philip Gardiner strongly supports the paradigm shift which is emerging in the way the Department of Environment and Conservation (“DEC”) and farming community is building bridges over dealing with the fraught area of breaches and alleged breaches of agricultural land clearing.
“Over the past two years, DEC Officers have been working with my office, developing foundations for a different process and analysis of clearing applications” Mr Gardiner said.
“The analysis rests upon affected farmers working with DEC to construct a plain language Vegetation Management Plan for their properties”, Mr Gardiner said.
“A Vegetation Management Plan outlines which parts of the farming property will have dedicated vegetation; which parts have deteriorated vegetation which can be rehabilitated and remnants which no longer warrant conservation and can be turned into agriculturally productive land; and which parts will be replanted to vegetation as vegetation off-sets.
“There are many different situations of alleged breaches where DEC and farmers need to sit together and map out a vegetation solution in a spirit of trust including those who are contemplating clearing for purposes of roads, fences or weed eradication management.
“The Vegetation Plan would show the benefit of either the quantity, quality or the intensity of added natural vegetation over the farmer’s property compared to that of the alleged breached action.
“Each party signs off on the agreed Vegetation Management Plan for implementation.
“I am aware of the historical rupture in the relationship between DEC and farmers which has existed over the past decade. The new foundation of DEC and farmers working together under a basis of trust which heretofore had been seriously eroded is the bedrock of an entirely different working relationship.
“It does not mean that farmers and landowners can clear in contempt of DEC’s land clearing direction and expect to be exonerated prior to having an agreed Vegetation Management Plan. It does mean that there is now an avenue by which DEC and farmers can negotiate to develop a Vegetation Management Plan leading to both greater agricultural productivity and higher vegetation intensity and conservation”, Mr Gardiner said.
“My office and I will be working with DEC to plan extension into regions, especially where vegetative regrowth has been an historical problem with regard to illegal clearing, so that farmers and land owners develop a deep understanding of how to construct their Vegetation Plan.”, Mr Gardiner concluded.
