More barbed wire fences: At odds with the Federal Coalitions Direct Action Policy, the Victorian Coalition has a position that farmers need to be very careful of, it is effective now, and does impose imposts on farmers under Carbon Farming Initiatives. In an exclusive, Kate Dowler ( August 8, 2012 through weeklytimes Now) said Carbon farming could cost farmers, instead of making them money, and is the result of the Victorian Government tripling rate bills. Quoted: “The Victorian Government does not recognise carbon farming as a legitimate farming activity under land tax and valuation acts and has ruled out changing the laws”.

The impacts:

• Carbon farming, as the main activity on a land title, could attract commercial council rates, instead of lower farming rates.

• The Victorian Coalition’s move results in the federal Coalition’s Direct Action policy being ineffective in encouraging carbon sinks.

• Treasury has advised farmers state and local governments did not “recognise carbon farming as a primary production activity for the purposes of land tax or council rates”.

Also quoted is Environmental Farmers Network spokesman and Ararat farmer Peter Forster: ”The news was very concerning…This is outrageous and means farmers trying to do the right thing (enter carbon farming Initiative programs) are going to be disadvantaged… People are already reluctant to go into carbon farming – this will be the nail in the coffin.”

The piece also quoted: Agriculture Minister Peter Walsh “confirmed carbon farming was not classified as a farming activity and flatly ruled out reviewing it…He said recognising it could distort the market and produce ‘a managed investment scheme debate all over again…Prime agriculture land should be used for food and fibre production and people should be “very careful” about entering carbon schemes”.

The Victorian Minister then added when asked what he thought of the federal Coalition’s policies for carbon abatement; Mr Walsh repeated, “People need to be very, very careful about going into carbon farming”.

CO2Land org in a previous story on coalition positions and government outreach said you may be even more confused and equally reluctant to modify land use practices because of the politics – who can blame you – It may be time for the resilient to overcome the Neanderthals.