In its submission to the state government’s Inquiry into the Impact of Animal Rights Activism on Victorian Agriculture, Australian Dairy Farmers (ADF) argues animal activists are causing “undue hardship to farmers”.
ADF says activists falsely present the dairy industry as condoning and hiding animal abuse and undertaking criminal activities against dairy farmers.
The ADF submission urges the government to:
Expand the scope of the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 (Vic) to deal with animal activists, extremists or any other private citizen impinging on another person’s human right
Increase trespass fines to $12,000 in line with existing laws in Western Australia, and empower police to issue fines on-the-spot
Provide more transparency around convictions and sentencing for trespass
Change the Livestock Disease Control Act 1994 (Vic) that enables farm trespassers to be prosecuted for causing an animal disease to claw back costs from offenders Currently, the Summary Offences Act 1966 (Vic) offers a fine of up to $4,029.75 or six months’ jail time for trespass offences.
Increasing the penalty to match Western Australia’s $12,000 fine would be more effective, ADF argues, if it could be issued on-the-spot.
“This locks in a minimum penalty to protect against the imposition of grossly inadequate sentences being handed down by the courts,” the submission says.
It appears to be a reference to the Gippy Goat case, in which a vegan activist was fined $1 for breaking biosecurity laws.
ADF president Terry Richardson said the current penalties were not an effective deterrent and offenders must be held accountable for their actions.
“Animal activists trespassing onto farms or committing other crimes should be held to account by the criminal justice system,” Mr Richardson said.
“No one is above the law and farmers have a right to farm without the threat of invasion, sabotage or biosecurity outbreak posed by animal activists.
“Farmers are suffering from increased stress and fear of being attacked by activists sometime in the future, just for doing their jobs.”
ADF also suggests a national database that “publicly identifies individuals and organisations found guilty of farm trespass”.
Submissions to the inquiry close on Friday.
