People caught trespassing on Victorian farms could be slapped with on-the-spot fines of $1,272 for an individual and $8,178 for an organisation under new legislation passed in Parliament yesterday.
The Victorian government said the new laws were the toughest of their kind in Australia and will deter people from trespassing on farms.
Under the Livestock Management Amendment (Animal Activism) Act 2021 penalties of $10,904 for an individual and up to $54,522 may apply to an organisation for more serious offending.
The bill was introduced in response to several incidences of farm trespass by animal activists, including at the Gippy Goat Cafe in Yarragon in 2018.
'Big step'
Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) president Emma Germano said the new legislation had been "a longtime coming", three years after the Inquiry into the Impact of Animal Rights Activism on Victorian Agriculture.
"The VFF worked with parliamentarians back in 2018 to get the inquiry off the ground at a time when we were faced with an unacceptable situation where animal activists were getting off virtually scot-free," she said.
In order for the on-the-spot fines to be applicable, farmers will need to implement a biosecurity management plan, Ms Germano said, and the VFF will work with Agriculture Victoria to assist farmers to put those plans in place.
"At a time when we are dealing with significant human and animal biosecurity outbreaks our rigorous farm biosecurity systems have never been more important," she said.
"The biosecurity management plans will not only protect farmers from unacceptable harassment by animal activists, but also from potential biosecurity breaches."
The new arrangements will come into effect later this year.
