An animal activist group branding itself as a charity is targeting producers across the country with a map of farm locations published on Facebook.
The map is sourced from an online database, based on information submitted by the general public.
The interactive map lists the location of hundreds of rural properties, including livestock farms, meatworks and dairies.
Aussie Farms’ registered users are encouraged to upload information about farming practices and images of livestock and production.
National Farmers’ Federation president Fiona Simson demanded the group’s charitable status be revoked and for Facebook to remove Aussie Farms’ page.
“Aussie Farms, unbelievably, a registered charity, has been linked to a number of trespass incidents, including an incident in December where 55 protesters forced their way into an abattoir in Nhill, Vic,” she said.
Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said Aussie Farms’ site could encourage illegal behaviour and be used as “an attack map for activists”.
“Farms are people’s homes, not just their businesses,” he said.
“This potentially encourages activists to trespass and worse after being misled about the practices on that farm. Trespass also has the potential to cause significant bio-security issues that ironically could lead to the death of the animal.”
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