Farmers Warn Environmental Reforms Could Mean More Red Tape and Less Certainty
South Australian grain producers say the new environmental reforms passed through Federal Parliament have raised more questions than answers.
Grain Producers South Australia (GPSA) is calling for clarity, warning that growers already juggling tough seasonal and financial conditions now face extra uncertainty as they try to understand how these changes will impact daily farming across the state.
The new reforms amend the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and introduce sweeping new Commonwealth powers. These include tighter controls on land use, the removal of some exemptions for high-risk clearing, a new national environmental watchdog and a fast-tracked assessment pathway that could speed up approvals for renewable and other major developments.
Grain Producers Call For Clearer Guidelines
GPSA has written to State Environment Minister Lucy Hood seeking clear guidance on how the federal rules will line up with existing SA laws, and what practical impact growers should expect.
Producers are also concerned about the rushed nature of the reforms, including last-minute amendments negotiated with the Greens. They warn these changes risk imposing significant and lasting consequences on South Australian grain producers, opening the door to federal over-reach, increased compliance and yet another layer of red tape for farmers already under pressure.
GPSA CEO Brad Perry said growers are already under strain and these reforms only add to it.
“Grain producers just want to get on with what they do best, but instead they are facing more compliance on environmental sustainability, on top of threats to the future of their farms through planning, renewables and mining laws in South Australia,” he said.
Perry said SA growers manage millions of hectares and already invest heavily in soil health, biodiversity and sustainable land management because their businesses rely on looking after the land. He said any reforms need to acknowledge that experience and support the work growers are already doing, rather than complicate it.
“With these reforms there is a real risk of new, overlapping federal powers that could restrict routine farming practices and force unnecessary red tape onto growers already under enormous seasonal and financial strain.”
He also wants clarity on how state and federal laws will work together.
“Clarity is essential, particularly around how state and federal laws interact under bilateral agreements. Farmers need a single, streamlined approval process, not dual approvals and extra red tape.”
Perry said growers are often painted as part of the problem, when in reality the opposite is true.
“Farmers are not the problem, in fact, they are a core part of the solution. Our growers improve soil health, revegetate land, restore biodiversity and invest in sustainability every year.”
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