Fed-up farmers are calling for improvements to state legislation that compulsorily acquires farming land for new state infrastructure developments.
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Land that is needed for such developments, such as irrigation schemes and electricity towers, is often found within privately owned properties that may also be farming land.
One Northern Midlands farmer is fed up with the processes behind compusorily acquisition after difficulties experienced in the negotiation processes.
Cressy farmer Oliver Scott-Young said they have a property with two titles that was needed by a government business enterprise (GBE) and which was subsequently valued for acquisition using just one title of land.
Mr Scott-Young said after he refused the offer the GBE then conducted a valuation with both titles of land, and came back with a less than attractive valuation offer which included injurious compensation.
"This farm has already been chipped at quite a bit by government agencies and we have had enough of it. We don't feel hat we should have to give up our irrigated land when there is another alternative."
Labor primary industries spokeswoman Janie Finlay said the Liberals must modernise the process of land acquisition and compensation for farmers if it expects producers to meet the government's own 2050 target of a $10 billion farm gate value.
"In 2019 the government announced its Our Infrastructure Future 30-Year Infrastructure Strategy but it failed to address how land would be acquired and how Tasmanians, including our farmers, would be compensated," Ms Finlay said.
"Instead, farmers are being faced with having their best farming land compulsory acquired with old school compensation for the loss of this land, production and associated business impacts."
Primary Industries Minister Jo Palmer said any compensation frameworks needed to be fair, equitable and contemporary.
"I am advised that TasNetworks is investigating a Strategic Benefit Payment to landowners impacted by transmission developments, and that TasNetworks will continue to work with impacted landowners, and other key stakeholders such as the TFGA, to ensure the approach to compensation is fair and equitable," he said.
"It is intended that TasNetworks and the TFGA will work together to co-design the Strategic Benefit Payment scheme," she said.
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