Tasmania’s forest practices regulator says it will review how it conducts investigations into suspected land-clearing breaches by farmers after a protest at Parliament House today.
Hundreds of farmers gathered in Hobart to voice concerns at how the Forest Practices Authority (FPA) engages with landholders during its investigations.
There were also concerns about the difficulties in interpreting laws around land clearing.
The protest stemmed from a $100,000 fine issued to Triabunna landholder William Fergusson who cleared 7.1 hectares of threatened native vegetation, including Tasmanian blue gum and a further 11.5 hectares of forest without approval, to install a central pivot irrigation system.
He pleaded guilty to the offences and was convicted and fined in the Hobart Magistrates Court.
Melissa Fergusson says “we don’t just get a licence to do everything; you can’t”. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
Mr Fergusson and the FPA had negotiated remediation and rehabilitation of the land but “no agreement could be reached”, according to Resources Minister Felix Ellis, resulting in the fine.
Mr Fergusson’s wife, Melissa Fergusson, described this process as unfair.
“It’s not practical; we don’t just get a licence to do everything, you can’t; it’s just your daily things you’re trying to do,”
she said.
Central Highlands farmer Will Bignell spoke to the crowd. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
The way the matter was handled prompted farmer Lindsay White to gather other examples of farmers’ concerns at various government regulations and the approach taken by the FPA.
He then planned the protest at Parliament House, which included tractors being parked outside.
Lindsay White also addressed the crowd. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
Mr White said farmers felt targeted by the FPA.
“For the [Forest Practices Authority officers] to turn up on our farms, unannounced, uninvited, and suddenly they turn up alongside our machine and say they are going to fine us because they have seen we’re clearing some trees,” he said.
This lamb was enlisted in the protest action. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
A petition with 2,803 signatures was tabled in parliament, calling for a review of land-clearing enforcement and for penalties to be “fair and proportionate”.
Mr White met with two government ministers and FPA board members last month and requested a pause on investigations while a review into enforcement is undertaken.
Trucks were also used at the protest. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
Compliance team ‘have a really difficult job to do’, FPA says
The FPA issued nine fines totalling $96,200 in 2024-25, which covers the latest available data.
A further three matters were prosecuted in court, two of which were on King Island.
These included $40,000 in fines for the clearing of 24 hectares of trees at a property on King Island without approval, which involved 12 hectares of threatened forest.
In response to the concerns raised by farmers at the protest, the FPA says it will independently review how it conducts its investigations. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
Another matter involved a $90,000 fine for the unapproved clearing of 29 hectares of trees, affecting the endangered King Island scrub complex.
The FPA progressed 58 investigations for the 12 months, compared with 70 for the previous year.
In response to the concerns raised by farmers at the protest, chief Forest Practices officer Anne Chuter said the FPA would independently review how it conducts its investigations.
“We’re aware that there have been people who have made comments about the way the FPA compliance staff go about their duties,” she said.
“The FPA compliance team have a really difficult job to do and a really important job to do and their job is to help administer the law set down by parliament.
“They may have to enter a property to collect information or have really difficult conversations with landowners around enforcement of the law.”
The FPA will also work with industry advocacy body TasFarmers to review how land clearing-regulations are communicated.
Its current Check Before You Chop portal attracted criticism.
Hundreds of people joined the protest in Hobart. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
Minister urges caution on any changes
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP Carlo Di Falco presented the petition to parliament and questioned the government about its support for farmers.
Labor’s Janie Finlay also asked whether the tractor protest was a sign that the government had not engaged adequately with farmers.
Primary Industries Minister Gavin Pearce said there were “structural issues” at play.
“Reducing red tape is one thing. Reducing effective reduction of red tape is another,”
he said.
“We can’t simply absolve ourselves of all that responsibility; there needs to be a threshold between the responsibility aspect and allowing people to move forward in a practical way, in a pragmatic way.
“We’ve got to be also careful in fixing something [that] you don’t create another issue.”
A review of the state’s forest practices regulations is expected to be finished in April.
