Australian Dairy Farmers (ADF) has reiterated calls for the renewable energy rollout to adequately protect productive farmland, as the Victorian Government today confirms locations for its Renewable Energy Zones (REZ).
ADF President Ben Bennett said while dairy farmers are committed to playing their part in the transition to a lower-emissions economy, the shift must be designed in a way that also protects the productive farming systems that underpin food security.
“The concern for dairy farmers is whether the scale and location of energy infrastructure is being planned in a way that protects long-term food production,” Mr Bennett said.
“The Victorian Government’s declared REZs substantially overlap productive agricultural landscapes, including important dairy farming regions that are a finite and strategically important national resource.”
Victoria’s REZ announcement is reported to cover approximately 1.8 million hectares, or almost eight per cent of the state’s land area, including regions that support significant dairy, grazing and mixed farming production.
Mr Bennett said dairy farming was only possible in a relatively small number of regions across Australia, requiring a combination of reliable rainfall, suitable soils, temperate climate and water access.
“Dairy country is not easily replaced,” he said.
“Australia already has comparatively limited areas capable of supporting intensive food production systems such as dairy, and Victoria accounts for around two-thirds of the nation’s milk production.
“Once productive farming systems are fragmented or permanently changed, rebuilding that productive capacity elsewhere is extremely difficult.”
Mr Bennett said the issue of protecting Australia’s food-producing capacity had become increasingly important, as evidenced by the Federal Parliament’s Food Security Inquiry and the Commonwealth Government’s current Feeding Australia National Food Security Strategy.
“At a time when governments are rightly focused on food security and supply chain resilience, we should be asking whether we are adequately protecting the productive land that underpins our domestic food supply,” he said.
ADF said farmers had consistently raised concerns throughout the REZ consultation process regarding the cumulative impact of transmission easements, substations, access roads and energy infrastructure on highly productive farming systems.
“Dairy farms are highly integrated operations,” Mr Bennett said.
“The cumulative impact of transmission infrastructure can affect farm layouts, laneways, irrigation systems, water access, herd movement, biosecurity and operational efficiency across entire farming regions.”
Mr Bennett said climate and emissions policy should be implemented in a manner consistent with food production, not at its expense.
“The Paris Agreement itself recognises climate action should occur in a manner that does not threaten food production,” he said.
“No one is arguing against the need to reduce emissions. But the pathway matters.
“Food security and energy security must go hand in hand.
“The challenge for governments is ensuring emissions reduction occurs in a way that protects highly productive agricultural land and does not unintentionally compromise Australia’s long-term food production capability.”
Photo by Tim Foster on Unsplash