An independent reviewer is seeking farmers and interested stakeholder views about the interaction between agriculture and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
The head of the independent review into the Act, Dr Wendy Craik, has called for Australia’s farmers to have their say about how national environment law affects them.
Dr Craik said farmers were important stewards of the land and possessed local understanding of their environment, including the specific trees, grasslands and species found.
“However, feedback suggests many landholders are not always clear on the obligations that some proposed agricultural activities carry under the Australian Government’s main environmental law, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999,” she said.
“To address this, an independent review is looking for farmers’ views to help the federal government streamline and improve the way it regulates and communicates landholder responsibilities under the EPBC Act.
“The independent review is specifically seeking to gather the views of farmers, industry groups and other stakeholders to better understand how the Act interacts with the agriculture sector, and to seek ways to improve regulation and help landholders meet the Act’s requirements.”
In addition to targeted consultation, the independent review welcomes written submissions from any member of the public.
Submissions are open and close Friday, June 15. Written submissions can be sent to agreview@aither.com.au and Agriculture Review (Aither), Level 2, 45 Exhibition Street, Melbourne, Vic, 3000.
Further information about the review and its terms of reference visit environment.gov.au/epbc/information-for/farmers/agriculture-review.
