A group named Keep the Sheep arrived at Parliament House a day before the protest rally. Photos: Rick Wilson MP/Facebook.
Up to 3000 farmers are expected to converge on Parliament House on Tuesday (10 September) to protest against the ban on live-sheep exports by sea, proposed restrictions on working visa arrangements, government purchases of irrigation water and other policies said to be hurting the agricultural sector in Australia.
Motorists are advised that a convoy of trucks and smaller vehicles will enter Canberra early in the morning via the Barton and Federal Highways, and transit between Parliament House and EPIC throughout the day.
Peak body, the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF), is organising the rally.
“The continual march of bad ideas we are facing will decimate agriculture and rural communities,” NFF president David Jochinke said.
“If you care about the ability to have communities living beyond the tram tracks of our major cities, you’ve got to care about agriculture.”
Mr Jochinke said the Federal Government’s decision to ban live-sheep exports by sea by 2028 was indicative of how the sector had been treated.
“The industry was asked to tidy its act up, it was told that it must invest in better processes and procedures,” he said.
”It’s done that. It’s the only traceable, auditable system in the world for live-sheep export from paddock to slaughter … but it’s still to be banned. What industry isn’t on the chopping block if it does what the government asks but the ultimate outcome is it still gets deleted?”
Advocacy group Southern Riverina Irrigators will be organising a bus to leave from Deniliquin in NSW as early as 2:30 am on Tuesday to reach the protest on time.
This group is primarily protesting against government buybacks of irrigation water, which it says will decimate agriculture in the Murray Darling Basin.
A truck rally of other groups of farmers will start at Goulburn at 6:30 am and Yass at 7 am before coming together to drive down the main street of Canberra and past Parliament House.
At 11 am, a rally on the lawn outside Parliament will hear several speeches.
The rally will bring together several grievances against government policy.
All major party leaders have been invited to address the crowd. Nationals leader David Littleproud has confirmed he will take up the opportunity, but the NFF boss is still waiting to hear back from the Labor and Liberal parties to find out whether a representative will attend.
Mr Jochinke said there was also concern about the Federal Government taking away the 88-day working holiday visa, which gives temporary foreign workers the ability to extend their visa if they spend 88 days working in a regional area.
“Our concern is that … all people applying for a working holiday visa would not have the incentive to work for 88 days in a regional area to extend their visa to a second or third year … that will absolutely decimate both agriculture and service industries in regional areas,” he said.
“Their argument is it’s a potential avenue for exploitation; our argument is why can’t you help police the requirements better, educate employments and make it easier for compliance … instead of saying it’s bad and we are just getting rid of it?
“This rally is a statement for politicians to be put on notice that agriculture has to be consulted on policies that impact on agriculture.”
Original Article published by Oliver Jacques on Riotact.
