14 November 2019
Right to Farm Bill gives government new powers to shut down forest protests
The passage of the Right to Farm Bill by the NSW Parliament could have serious impacts on peaceful protest in forests, the Nature Conservation Council has warned.
The Bill quadruples the maximum penalty for aggravated unlawful entry of inclosed agricultural lands from $5,500 to $22,000, and three years’ imprisonment. Agricultural land includes farms, abattoirs and “a business or undertaking for forestry”.
“This is a sneaky attack on the right to use peaceful protest to protect public native forests,” Nature Conservation Council Chief Executive said.
“If these laws had been in place in the 1980s and 1990s, World Heritage-listed rainforests on the north coast would have been turned into telegraph poles and toilet paper.
“It was thanks to the democratic right to protest and the bravery of environmentalists that those irreplaceable forests are still standing.
“The timing of this new law is suspicious. The government is right now considering letting loggers into old-growth forests that have been protected for more than 20 years.
“The extreme penalties in the new Act will make people less willing to participate in peaceful protest – a basic human right enshrined in international law.
“Some people might be willing risk $5500 and a criminal record to have their voices heard. Far fewer would risk $22,000 and three years behind bars.”
A concerted campaign by environment groups, civil liberties organisations and unions when the bill was brought to parliament in September resulted in amendments that narrowed its application to agricultural lands. Before the amendments, penalties were to have applied to peaceful protest on all inclosed lands.
“The amendments represent a significant victory for civil organisations fighting to uphold important democratic principles,” he said.
Reference
Right to Farm Bill https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/bills/Pages/bill-details.aspx?pk=3670
Tags
Forests and wildlifeNSW Parliament
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