"No stopping them now" - farmers revved up for rally

Farmers say they will not be deterred by a Police directive to leave their tractors at home for tomorrow’s “Right to Farm” rally on Hobart’s Parliament Lawn at 11am.

The rally is a protest against what primary producers consider to be excessive government red tape and heavy-handed enforcement by the Forest Practices Authority (FPA) and will involve the tabling of an e-petition sponsored by Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP Carlo Di Falco.

Rally organiser Farmers and Landowners Action Group (FLAG) was contacted by Tasmania Police yesterday and asked to tell the media that tractors are banned from the event due to a lack of public liability insurance.

Tasmania Police has deemed the rally to be a public event under Section 49AB of the Police Offences Act 1935, and that tractors are part of that event, which means organisers are required to obtain a public street permit and public liability insurance which would take approximately 12 weeks to achieve.

Without a permit organisers could be fined up to $2000 per violation.

However in response to questions from Tas Country today Tasmania Police has stopped short of an official ban.

A spokesperson said Tasmania Police has not banned the planned protest action on Parliament Lawn tomorrow.

"Our priority is to ensure public safety - the event organisers have been unable to obtain public liability insurance in time for the proposed event, which is a condition of permits.

"Tasmania Police is continuing to liaise with event organisers to ensure the event is held safely and as such has provided event organisers with a number of options, including postponing the event until public liability insurance is able to be secured, and advising rally attendees not to bring tractors or heavy machinery into the area."

FLAG founder Lindsay White said tractors are not part of the official protest (which it has a permit to hold) and when it comes to farmers who have indicated they’ll be using tractors as their mode of transport into Hobart “there’ll be no stopping them now”.

He said legal advice he’s received is that driving a tractor in the city, as long as it is legally roadworthy and parked legally, is lawful.

Dozens of farmers from around the state have commented on social media saying they support the rally and have no qualms about getting there on their tractors.

“I contacted the Police three weeks ago and told them it’s not a tractor rally and said we want to work with you, not cause chaos or trouble, and just quietly protest on Parliament Lawn,” Mr White said.

“For us tractors are not involved in the rally, but they are a mode of transport no different to a car or truck or ute.”

Huon Valley farmer Andrew Griggs from Lucaston Park Orchards said three generations of his family and his full-time employees are all going to support farmers at the rally.

He will be driving to Hobart in his tractor.

“Farmers are generally quiet - they do this sort of thing every day - and they are not always eloquent and articulate but when we’re on our tractors we feel heard and seen,” he said.

“I believe this is so, so important because farmers are frustrated and saddened by what has become of our country which seems to have a persuasive ‘can’t do’ attitude.

“That wasn’t the case 40 years ago when I started farming and everyone thanked you for the risk you were taking, the employment, the wealth creation in the community, the hard work.

“Now everything we try to do is overwhelmed with compliance issues and red tape - and that really adds to the mental health issues that affect farmers more than any other demographic.”

Mr Griggs said it's “shameful” how landowners are being treated by the FPA.

“It's a privilege and honour to be a farmer, we’re not asking for anything special or any handouts, we just want to grow good food for our country and create jobs and invest in our communities.

“Something has got to change and we have a democratic right to drive a registered tractor in a public place - we’re not breaking the law.”

Mr White said that he’s impressed with the amount of people offering support and he expects a good turn-out at the rally.

“We’ve had three good meetings with ministers and staff and really the politicians have been answering all of our calls - meanwhile the FPA have gone into hiding,” he said.

Speakers at the rally tomorrow include Victorian Farmers Fight Back organiser Ben Duxton, TasFarmers CEO Nathan Cox, Central Highlands farmer Will Bignell and Melissa Fergusson, whose family was fined $100,000 by the FPA earlier this year.