The VFF is arguing for changes to native vegetation rules.THE Victorian Farmers Federation will ask the State Government for a “more balanced approach” to native vegetation rules to enable increased land productivity for Victorian farmers.
According to the VFF, farmers are often unable to remove stand-alone native trees in paddocks, even if they offer to replace them with vegetation in alternative locations on their property.
Gerald Leach, VFF Land Management Committee chairman, said the current native vegetation rules only consider environmental impacts, with little or no consideration of economic costs.
“Modelling by the VFF puts the costs of isolated paddock trees in a cropping operation at around $350/year.
“This includes up to $200 per tree per year in productivity losses alone,” Mr Leach said.
“The other costs are attributed to additional resources used for spraying and seeding, damage to farm machinery from collisions with trees and debris and cleaning up fallen trees and limbs.”
Mr Leach said that the environmental benefits associated with retaining some types of vegetation aren’t realistic and in some cases, are counter-productive.
“The rules assume paddock trees are irreplaceable.
“Yet these trees support no understory, are vulnerable to natural impacts like extreme weather, and are a less attractive habitat for wildlife due to their isolation and exposure,” he said.
“The crazy thing about this is there is so much emphasis on retaining old, dying trees, but when they fall over there will be no new recruits to replace them.
“In the long term, this short-sighted policy will see a net-loss in native vegetation.”
