THE Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) says removing the need for an Environment Protection Authority (EPA) licence when using more than 5000 tyres to weigh down silage “is a win for farmers”.
VFF president Emma Germano said it followed more than two years of consultation between Dairy Australia, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Environment (DELWP), the EPA and the VFF.
“This is a step in the right direction towards simplifying the process for farmers and avoiding costly and time-consuming red-tape,” Ms Germano said.
“It was an absolute headache for farmers to obtain a licence or face eye-watering fines. The move to compromise and introduce a registration system is a workable solution,” Ms Germano said.
VFF United Dairyfarmers of Victoria president Mark Billing said the decision was welcome news for dairy farmers.
“Farmers helped provide invaluable information that was used to design these new regulations. We believe this move will streamline compliance and remove the need for a licence,” Mr Billing said.
“It’s certainly a better outcome than the current licensing system and will benefit farmers who are storing large quantities of silage.
“The VFF will continue working with all stakeholders to provide clear industry guidance to farmers prior to registration requirement being introduced on July 1, 2023.”
