[Greens-Media] PARNELL: Save our Farmland Rally

[Parnell]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday 7th November 2013

Save Our Farmland!

The Greens today are supporting farmers rallying on the steps of State Parliament, calling on MPs to protect South Australia's valuable farmland from mining.

Farmers from the Yorke Peninsula are concerned about a massive open cut iron ore and copper mine on high value cropping land, whilst farmers in the South East are worried about the impending rush for "unconventional gas" and "fracking" in farming areas.

Under Greens amendments to the Mining Act, "exceptional circumstances" would need to exist before a Court could force a farmer to sell up mining companies or allow mining activities on their land.

Under SA law, land used for cropping is supposed to be "exempt" from mining [s.9 Mining Act 1971], but in reality mining companies can over-ride the will of landholders by paying compensation and promising to rehabilitate the mine afterwards.  Of course, once an open cut mine has been exhausted, the land can never again be used for cropping.

When it comes to "fracking", the Greens' Bill will permanently protect all agricultural land, conservation land and urban land from the risks of water and air pollution that come from gas mining.
"For too long, famers have been made to feel guilty that they don't want mining to happen on their own land", said Greens Leader Mark Parnell MLC.

"The Greens believe that the balance needs to be renegotiated between mining and food production.  It's not right that a short-term mining project with a life of only a decade or two can trump food production which can continue for centuries and longer".



For further comment contact
Mark Parnell on 0439 215 937




________________________________

The information in this e-mail may be confidential and/or legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, access to it is unauthorised and any disclosure, copying, distribution or action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on it is prohibited and may be unlawful.