Farmers call for tougher native vegetation laws in fear of being 'lynched'

There is heated debate among landowners
about the preservation of native vegetation.

Native vegetation laws have long sparked heated discussion, but collective anger from farmers has reached such heights in Victoria that those in support of tighter regulation fear being "lynched" by peers for speaking out.

The latest wave of public debate comes as the Victorian Government proposes more stringent regulation around tree-clearing, in response to continued decline of native vegetation on private land.

Dozens of producers attended meetings held by the state's peak farm lobby group, Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF), to express concerns about the proposed regulation.

The loudest voice is coming from grain producers, who say they need to remove individual trees from paddocks to allow easier access for modern cropping machinery.

Read the ABC Rural story - “Native vegetation debate heats up, farmers in support of stricter laws fear being 'lynched' by peers.”