24/6/01
Legal theft continues
Australia wide Lobby group "Landholders for the Environment" claims the
recent injustice in Western Australia against landholders is part of a trend
nation wide.
In Badginarra (WA), farmer John Stephanelli has been vilified in the media
for developing his land to grow food. He has been criticised for changing the
vegetation on 500 ha of his land from mainly a wildlife habitat to food
production. John is a farmer. It is not a farmer`s job to run a park for
native wildlife.
If other Australians want their farmers to manage their land for conservation
then the Australian public must pay for it - either by buying the land or
paying sufficient income to replace the farmer`s income from food production.
In Genora (Vic) Dawn Parker & Warren Thomas have 300ha of native timber that
they bought for developing. Now they cannot mill or clear it , but they
cannot sell it to someone else to conserve it either.
In Walgett (NSW) James and Louise Foster have a 6000- hectare property, which
has 28 km of river frontage. They cannot develop 500 m's on either side of
the river, nor can they develop any of the flood plains because they might be
potential-habitat for three species of birds listed as threatened and one
skink listed as threatened. What was once an asset is now a liability and
their ability to earn a living has been taken away.
In Queensland freehold landowners who have paid for the rights to the trees
have lost those rights and cannot touch the vegetation on endangered
ecosystems on their properties and not a cent of compensation has been
forthcoming. And now Bluegrass and Brigalow ecosytems have been nominated as
protected under the Commonwealths Biodiversity (EPBC) act, with not even a
process let alone remuneration in place.
In Edenhope (Vic) Warren Wait has approximately 500 acres of bushland which
cannot be cleared for farm production, before the regulations came in this
was worth approximately $125.00 per acre now it is battling to be worth
$10.00 per acre.
These are gross injustices and who is encumbered with the cost? The
landholder who has paid for the land and planned to use it for primary
production. Now he has a non commercial National park that incurs costs of
rates, weed and pest control, instead.
Landholders who have lost their property rights have lost their land. This is
nothing short of theft. The end does not justify the means. The good end of
protecting our native plants and animals does not justify the evil means of
discrimination, theft and oppression of Australian landholders.
The community must know that "white collar crime" is being committed and an
Australia wide process to remunerate landowners for the land being conserved
for the public good must be put in place.
Contact Leon Ashby 0887 389 313
For more landholder info, click on the web site landholders.tripod.com
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