THE State Government has introduced new laws to bring heavier penalties on trespassers on farmland, aimed at curbing animal rights activists protesting or taking actions on private properties – a move welcomed by the Victorian Farmers Federation.

The Livestock Management Amendment (Animal Activism) Act 2021 passed through the State Upper House last month and will come into effect later in the year and farmers will need to implement a biosecurity management plan in order for the on-the-spot fines to be applicable.

The amendment poses a $1272 fine for an individual and $8178 for an organisation, while further penalties of up to $10,904 for an individual and up to $54,522 for an organisation could apply for more serious offending.

The VFF  has welcomed the new laws, though President Emma Germano said three years after the Inquiry into the Impact of Animal Rights Activism on Victorian Agriculture, it had been a long time coming.

The VFF says they will be working with Agriculture Victoria to assist farmers with putting a biosecurity management plan in place.

 “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,” Ms Germano said.

“This is a big step in providing better protection for farmers from law-breaking animal activists.”

The State Opposition said that while the action was welcome, it did not go far enough and was pushing amendments to double the fines, to bring the maximum fine for individuals in line with New South Wales’ equivalent laws, which is the toughest in the nation.

The move was not supported by the rest of the Upper House.

South West Coast MP, Roma Britnell said some animal rights activists were “well-funded” and the new fines may not be enough to stop them coming onto farms.

Though Ms Britnell had not heard of any animal rights activists trespassing on farms in her electorate, she had heard plenty of concern when details about properties were uploaded to the internet.

“Farmers were absolutely terrorised by the publication of their addresses online a few years ago, people were genuinely worried,” she said.

“It’s not as if they are breaking the law, this is a well-regulated industry that we are talking about.”