What We Believe

The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party recognise the importance of primary industries to the NSW economy. A sound and safe policy is needed to ensure the long term viability of primary industries in NSW. We will continue to work to expand the agriculture, forestry and mining industries, balanced by the appropriate and sustainable utilisation of all natural resources.

The intelligent way to this is not by ‘locking them away’ and restricting their use but to actively manage natural resources to achieve a balance of economic, social and environmental benefits for all people in NSW.

Notwithstanding the above, mining exploration and extraction must NEVER be allowed to permanently effect prime agricultural land or water systems – either surface or subterranean.

We acknowledge the vital role NSW farmers play in both State and National economies. Farmers have fed our growing population and have been at the forefront of this State’s development. They are the lifeblood on which every Australian relies on. When the interests of agriculture clash with the lifestyle expectations of blow-greenies and hobby farmers or mining companies aren’t wanted on private property, we stand for farmers!

The natural resources of NSW are for the benefit of everyone in the State. Natural resources can and do provide economic prosperity, employment security and recreational opportunity.

Our Action Plan

Native vegetation reform NOW
Farmers are the backbone of the national economy, and we need to empower them to get on with the job – not bury them in paperwork. The Shooters and Fishers Party worked closely with the NSW Farmers to put forward common sense changes to Native Vegetation laws, but were blocked by ALL major parties – including the Nationals.

Introduce right to farm policy
Right to farm policy will give NSW farmers the security they need, knowing they won’t be subject nuisance lawsuits or harassment from ‘activists’. A right to farm policy would help provide for the maintenance of agricultural practices that are under threat from so called conservationists. Farmers need to go about their daily business free from unwarranted and unnecessary hindrance.

Restore property rights
Property ‘rights’ have been slowly diminished across Australia. We will work to restore property rights to private landholders and farmers where mining companies and other intruders are not wanted. We will push for a proportion of royalties collected by the State from mining industries to compensate rural and regional communities who bear a large portion of the cost of providing infrastructure to support major mineral projects. We will also work to amend the land acquisition legislation to provide further benefits and protection for property owners.

No E-zones on private land
The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party view this “Local-Government-sneak-attack” as theft by regulation and will strongly oppose attempts to reduce the rights of property owners and farmers. Environmental zoning effectively locks up private and public land while providing no notable effect on conservation. Its green and red bureaucracy! We will always vigorously oppose environmental restriction through biodiversity overlays and riparian zones unless full and just compensation is paid to the landowner.

Coal Seam Gas
We have called for an immediate moratorium on CSG projects in NSW and a permanent ban in the Northern Rivers until the NSW Government implement all 16 recommendations of the Chief Scientist and Engineer’s report into the CSG activities in NSW. Further, we will campaign the Federal Government to immediately introduce a National Gas Reservation Policy to guarantee domestic gas supplies for all Australian states.

Young farmers
More and more young people are being turned off the farming sector, which has been vital to Australia’s development. We will call on the Government to introduce new initiatives and funding to encourage young farmers. Associations like the NSW Farmers are encouraged to provide information and guidance to government departments on
this issue.

Review foreign ownership of agricultural land
We will seek an immediate review of foreign ownership of agricultural land. We believe our agricultural sector and Australian farmers are being pushed out of existence by a Government too comfortable with foreign entities.

Kangaroo culling
Amend current National Parks and Wildlife legislation to enable kangaroos culled by farmers or volunteer conservation hunters (in non-commercial zones) to be lawfully utilised rather than go to waste.

Supporting the NSW timber industry
The NSW timber industry employs more than 22,000 people and generates more than $2 billion each year. For too long both major political parties have been held hostage by the extremist inner city Greens. Timber is a sustainable industry that has been badly affected by political games. The Shooters and Fishers Party support a return to working forests.

Securing our water supply
Too little emphasis is placed on storage or diversion of flood waters for future use. To this end, the Shooters and Fishers Party will push the NSW Government to immediately implement a state wide water security plan, addressing flood mitigation, new dams, cloud seeding, and better management of flows particularly in the Northern Rivers. Water management in NSW is in desperate need of reform. We will facilitate an Upper House inquiry into this issue to deliver practical and evidence based results for affected communities.

Food security
We will work to protect both our food security and other uses of natural resources.

Hemp
We support the farming of food grade and industrial hemp. Industrial hemp fiber and seed comes from the hemp plants specifically bred to have tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels of no more than 1%. Low-THC hemp has the added advantage of being considered a "green" environmentally friendly crop, as it requires less irrigation water and use of agricultural chemicals than other fiber crops.

Rural development
When rural and regional economies lose production, people and businesses have to leave. This decline needs to be addressed and reversed through a concerted policy of increased rural and regional development, by further decentralisation of government services and encouragement of industry development in regions. Further, we will call on the government to release a Community Impact Statement before substantially altering the level of its commitment and involvement in rural areas.

Power
We will support the exploration and development of coal and mineral resources where appropriate as a source of cheap energy. As rural and regional communities bear a large portion of the cost in providing the infrastructure, it is only fair they are compensated via royalties from the State. In this context, we will encourage the development of coal and mineral resources as a source of energy. We support a review of the use of nuclear energy as a possible future source of clean power.

Effective communication not scare tactics
We will work to introduce education and training programs in all government natural resource agencies to ensure staff understand the risks and benefits of modern Agriculture, Forestry and Mining industries. Similarly, extractive mining industries are often the victim of unfair negative publicity and smear campaigns by extreme greens and so-called ‘conservation’ groups.

What This Means For You

The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party commits to pursuing a balance between sustainable utilisation of natural resources and safeguarding the environment. Forestry, mining and agriculture and other major primary industries are essential to the economic recovery and prosperity of this state. We will encourage and facilitate their future expansion and development in line with safe practices.

Regional property owners and farmers are the key to these decisions. Unlike the major political parties, we will not forget about them.

We commit to supporting education programs to demonstrate how innovative conservation practices can offset and rehabilitate the impacts of mining and forestry activities. Natural resource utilisation and biodiversity conservation are not incompatible. The economic returns from utilisation can be a contributor to improved and rehabilitated biodiversity. To that end, we will continue to support and develop primary industries in NSW, for the benefit of regional communities in particular.