Hansard debates

Mrs McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (18:30): My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change. A recent EPA determinations paper has revealed that the government intends on redefining animal manure as industrial waste and demanding that anyone who deposits, transports or receives more than 20 cubic metres of manure on their property must complete a declaration of use document. That document must then be supplied to anyone else involved in the transport of manure.

This is classic Andrews government over-regulation emanating from inside the tram tracks of Melbourne with no understanding of how the agriculture sector actually operates. Manure is a valuable fertiliser for rural businesses, who with such a regulation are now expected to partake in onerous bureaucracy, having to fill out paperwork for no justifiable reason. On top of that, the reclassification means that farmers could be subjected to significant penalties if manure inadvertently falls into a waterway. The great irony is of course that while on the one hand the EPA claims that they are broadening the definition of ‘industrial waste’ to prevent potential harm to human health and the environment, on the other they are facilitating the dumping of real toxic waste into waterways that will actually risk poisoning produce on farms around Bacchus Marsh.

Manure has reportedly been used as a fertiliser on farms since ancient Babylon and probably before, but now, only now, do bureaucrats in Victoria Street seem to see it as a grave danger. I call on the minister to ensure that the EPA ditches this nonsensical idea and ceases placing more rules and regulations on farmers during this very difficult economic time as they, the farmers, endeavour to feed the nation while also having their exports restricted due to rules put on them by people in Beijing who do not want Australian produce sent over there. Now they are even suggesting that Australian beef, a large amount from my electorate, has caused the coronavirus. So the minister needs to ditch this proposal ridiculously saying that animal manure is some form of industrial waste.