SENATOR Nick Xenophon drew a full-house at the recent Eyre Peninsula Field Days which he attended specifically to offer his opinions on the mining-versus-agriculture debate.
"Mining is important, but agriculture is the most renewable product there is," he said.
"My argument is to say not all mining is bad, but not if it kills the watertable and crops.
"There are many legitimate questions that need to be answered."
Sen Xenophon likened the huge uphill battle Brighton Caravan Park residents faced trying to stay in their homes and the enormous costs involved in fighting their eviction to what farmers could face against mining companies.
"There are some big commercial considerations, but let's be rational and get some safeguards in place," he said.
"There needs to be a safety valve. If a mining company says crops won't be affected, we need a safeguard in place so if something goes wrong you don't have to mortgage the farm to fight for your legal rights."
Sen Xenophon said farmers needed to stress the importance of what they did.
"Farmers need to be vocal about the jobs they create – the multiplier effect of agriculture is massive," he said.
"On the mining issue, let's at least get some independent studies done to look at both sides of the fence."
Sen Xenophon said the state was facing significant financial issues.
"SA is in big trouble," he said.
Sen Xenophon said that besides the direct jobs to go from the loss of Holden, a further 10,000 components-related jobs would be going as a flow-on effect.
He said calls to aid the manufacturing sector were falling on deaf ears.
"(Treasurer) Joe Hockey just doesn't get it, the importance of manufacturing to SA," Sen Xenophon said.
"We're looking at 20,000 to 30,000 jobs lost in the next few years."
Sen Xenophon said he was still "cautious" about GMs.
"Wi-fi came about because of the CSIRO and the government collects $0.5 billion in royalties from that," he said.
"Yet, their funding has been slashed."
* Full report in Stock Journal, August 7, 2014 issue.