Vic
4/7/03

SUBMISSION FOR IMPACT OF NATIVE VEGETATION REGULATIONS

Dear Sir

It worries me a lot when I read in the papers, and get first hand experience in the way the Victorian Govt. is using the Native Vegetation act to bull doze the farmers and country people into having to do obey unrealistic and costly Native Vegetation regulations, and plant many trees.
I like many others know it is going to cost many of us a fortune if we want to improve our farms. To put it mildly, it is just beaurecrats that have not a clue what they are doing that make these rules. It is clear the Victorian Govt. is bowing down to the Green Lobby.
The banning of clearing small areas of private bush often has a negative effect on farming procedure, it can stop development. There is often too much red tape and cost to get permits. Do not forget farms are still very important, much more than many urban people realise. even the selling of firewood brings in money, cleans up the areas and brings more land into production.

THESE ARE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS IT IS GOING TO CAUSE.
IT IS GOING TO STOP FARMERS IMPROVING THEIR FARMS AND SO REDUCE THEIR VALUE. WE MUST KEEP FARMS AT ALL COSTS.

IF WE CAN NOT REMOVE LIMBS OVER FENCES WITHOUT BEING PENILIZED, FENCES WILL BE WRECKED, STOCK WILL GET OUT ON ROADS AND CAUSE ACCIDENTS.

NOBODY WILL WANT A FARM WITH NATIVE VEGETATION ON IT

FARMERS WILL NOT PUT IN FIRE BREAKS OR ACCESS ROADS. LOOK AT THE FIRES IN THE N.E.

WE WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO CUT POSTS, EITHER FOR THE FARM OR TO SELL LOOK AT THE EXTRA COST TO US TO BUY POSTS, OR THE LACK OF INCOME OR EMPLOYMENT FOR THOSE WITH SUITABLE TREES.

WHAT ABOUT THE D.S.& E. FUEL REDUCTION BURNS IN THE FORESTS AND NATIONAL PARKS? HOW MUCH NATIVE VEGETATION DO THEIR HOT BURNS KILL? HOW MANY TREES BURN DOWN, AND NATIVE ANIMALS ARE KILLED? JUST CHECK OUT A FEW OF THEIR BURNS.

ARE ROAD SIDES NOT GOING TO BE CLEARED IN THE COUNTRY, AND CAUSE MORE ACCIDENTS? I EVEN HIT AN OVERHANGING BRANCH THAT WAS LEANING OVER A SEALED ROAD IN THIS AREA WITH THE STOCK CRATE ON THE TRUCK. I WAS STILL ON THE SEALED ROAD. THE BRANCH WAS ABOUT 7 CMS. IN DIAMETER, LUCKY I DID NOT HAVE TO PLANT TREES TO REPLACE THE LIMB.

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A FRIEND HAS BOUGHT LAND TO BUILD A HOUSE ON. HE HAD TO REMOVE 2 SIX METRE HIGH TREES. THE PERMIT COST $80 AND HAS TO PLANT 20 TREES. ANOTHER COST.

WHAT ABOUT THE FIRE PROTECTION FOR ALL THESE THOUSANDS OF HOMES THAT ARE BUILT IN THE BUSH. MANY OWNERS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PLANT TREES TO REPLACE THE ONES THEY REMOVE FOR FIRE PROTECTION, ANOTHER DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN.

WILL PEOPLE WANT TO BUY LAND THAT HAS A COVENANT ON IT ? I WOULD NOT, WHAT USE WOULD IT BE?

READ THE VICTORIAN FARMERS FEDERATION SUBMISSION TO THE HOUSE OF REPS. INQUIRY INTO THE RECIENT AUSTRALIAN BUSHFIRES. TO SAY THE LEAST IT EXPLAINS MANY OF THE PROBLEMS THIS ACT IS GOING TO MAKE WORSE.

It is going to effect us greatly. As the result of the drought, we are short of money. The Rural Finance tells us we can not get drought relief, because we have a few shares kept as superannuation. The way things are going we may have to sell some land to keep going, How will these rules effect us, if we have to put fences in to subdivide will that mean plant a lot of trees and lose more farm land?
In the early 1930's my Father selected an area of bush next to the family farm. in the south of the Brisbane Rangers near Anakie In the depression he fenced it, a distance of 6 + miles. Then in Dec. 1938 a bush fire came and burnt part of his farm and land.
In the late 1940's as the result of the 1938 fire he had the foresight to clear a fire break along the west and north side against the now National Park. I helped him and we spent weeks and weeks using axes and mattocks to clear the scrub away. and make a fire break two chains wide to help protect the farm, and help clear the land for the sheep.
Another fire came in 1967 which burnt another section. After that He hired a dozer to clear a section which he sowed down to grass and cleared about 4 Km. of fire breaks partly round the boundary and down the centre.
He also cleared a dozer width along the outside of the fence to try and keep slashed to protect his fence.
After he died the farm was left to us. I have tried to keep on with his plan, but owing to bad years and other problems have not been able to do every thing I would have liked to do.
Now with this Native Vegetation Act It is going to be hard because of not being able to remove a few trees, My father always tried to keep the good straight trees, for as he said his children and grandchildren. Now his grandson wants to cut about 30 posts to put fence round his house to keep his young children away from the road and dam. possibly now he can not cut them with out a tot of red tape. He can not buy hard wood posts so he is told. Another cost to us, what about the employment and income that is going to do away with.
After all these years parts of the boundary fence need repairing. Now the Shire have placed Significant Native Vegetation signs along part of the boundary. If I want to remove any trees that over hang the fence the Shire tells me I must apply to them pay $90 and they will look at it and perhaps give me a permit to remove some. Will I be expected to plant more trees to replace them? If so we feel we may as well let the trees fall on the fences and let the stock out.
This actually happened to us on 6th June 2003 as the result of the storms. We had up to 80+ Kms. per Hour wind. It blew a wattle tree down over the boundary fence, 18 head of our cattle got out and they found their way on to Butchers Road. When I found them they were heading for the busy Geelong ‑‑ Ballan road. What would have happened if they had caused a road death, would Mr

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Bracks take the blame? Of course he would not, yet if he and his mates would not let me keep the fence clear he must be to blame.
If I was treated like the Wedderburn farmer and had to plant 20 trees for every limb over 10 cms. and 60 for every one over 20 ems. I would have to plant hundreds of trees if I cleared the boundary fence.
Another thing if a tree fell out of our paddock on to the Ballan rd. hit a car and killed some one, who would be to blame?
Also some of the fire breaks Dad made have either a little scrub or trees coming up in them and they should be cleared. Once again more permits and will I be expected to plant more trees and lose more grass? The fire breaks on our place are one of the best fire breaks to protect the township of Anakie. What should we do, dont worry, let Anakie burn, we do not five there.
We should add our son has a Cat D7 bulldozer. He would be pleased to help us clean up the fire breaks
In the Weekly Times of July 2nd is a reports of a farmer in east Gippsland who bought a 64 Ha. farm. He wanted to clear 20 Ha. of regrowth. He has found that if he clears the 20 Ha. he will have to put a covenant on the rest of the farm. This will stop all development. Victoria will soon be looking for farms now they are trying to close down as many as possible or at least make them unprofitable.
Recently the Shire sealed 3 Kms of the Steiglitz She Oaks road. The only problem was they did not clear away the trees first. Now there are trees, the worst possibly is one about 27 inches in diameter and is about 24 inches from the edge of the seal. also there is a stump 30 inches high with in about 22 inches of the edge. There is perhaps 50 trees with in 4 feet of the seal. You can not pull right off the road to park along much of the road‑ At night it is dangerous, a accident waiting to happen, and yet the Govt. talk about saving lives. Is this what is going to happen more and more as the result of this act? It will soon change when a few lives are lost.
Things are starting to look like VICTORIA NOT THE PLACE TO BE

All I can say is please think what you are doing before it is too late, You will lose more farms, make more fire hazards which will mean more big fires and people will not want bush blocks. 
Hope this is of some help, 
	Yours faithfully 
		J &M Boardman