Activists’ motives are ‘evil’
POLICE warned organisers of the Intensive Animal Industry Conference held in Dalby last week they were concerned animal activists might stage a protest.
The Western Downs event had been shared by activists across social media calling for action.
The region is a hub for intensive agriculture, with 68 feed lots and 23 piggeries.
Western Downs Mayor Paul McVeigh said the release of the Aussie Farms map was a concern to producers in the region.
“It is about having security of tenure at our properties, they’re all licensed and they do their job,” Cr McVeigh said.
“When they’re identified and people have an invasive attitude to that, it’s not right.
“Some of these places have strict quarantine issues around and if they’re breached that has a massive impact on our communities as well as the operator. If we have a breach of security and a breach of biosecurity, it affects jobs, it affects our communities, right through.
“They think they’re doing a very smart thing but it has a massive impact on our communities.”
Cr McVeigh said he wasn't aware of any direct incidents in the area but producers who had part of their operation on the Western Downs, including SunPork, had activists trespass on properties in other regions.
“I am very strong on these people being reprimanded properly if they’re going to have that invasive attitude and intrude on our very stable and very high-quality intensive ag producers,” he said.
“This becomes a police issue once they do that and we won’t be involved in that side of it but one of the comments from council would be that we are very supportive of those who are doing the right thing, they have their licences, they have the capacity and the right to operate within those guidelines but as they see fit.
“And for someone to have that invasive attitude is just not right.”
SunPork chief executive and managing director Robert van Barneveld said the Aussie Farms map had one intent and that was “to provide a road map for activists to raid farms”.
“And to assist them in sensationalising their largely misled message, that’s what I believe it’s for,” Mr van Barneveld said.
“I find it very hypocritical that it’s (the map) based on a lack of transparency and yet the premise is to keep activists anonymous.”
He said it wasn’t appropriate or justifiable to enter somebody’s property under any circumstances, without an invitation.
“It’s trespass, pure and simple, and the motive is evil,” Mr van Barneveld said.
“We have had incidents of activists on our farms and it’s a soul-destroying experience. It’s bad for the animals, it’s bad for the staff and it achieves nothing.
“We have had protests at Swickers and people stop the trucks, bang on the sides, stand the animals up and then complain they’re stressed.
“This is sensationalism and it can’t be justified.”
Mr van Barnevold said the Aussie Farms map wasn’t a huge concern as an Aussie Pigs map had showed the location of piggeries for years.
“We’re probably the least exposed in this new map compared to other industries,” he said.
“So for us I don’t see that as any change. It’s business as usual, they’ve just added other intensive farming operations to the list,” he said.
“What I hope it highlights is how much these guys can get away with. If you looked at any other kind of workplace environment or any other activity where you went out and literally defamed people, slandered them, and trespassed, you would be
❝ It’s trespass, pure and simple, and the motive is evil. — Robert van Barneveld
facing serious legal action.”
Mr van Barnevold said there was no point trying to preach to animal activists but producers should continue to show they employ the best practices in looking after their animals.
“There will always be an element of the community that don’t accept meat as a food source,” he said.
“And there is no point going head-to-head with an activist. They have their view and that’s fine. Everyone is entitled to their view, we support diversity. We don’t want everyone to think the same way, whereas they seem to think the opposite, that everyone has to think the way they do.
“The best way to get the message out there is actually exposure.”
Mr van Barnevold said they had never had an incident at SunPork in which a concerned citizen was invited on-farm to see the way they did things and walked away thinking “that’s abhorrent”.
“They’ve always said, ‘I understand, I see what you’re doing. You’re taking the highest care of the animals. It was a wonderful experience,’” he said.
“It’s more fear of the unknown.”
Growers should always make sure what they produce was “a valuable contribution to food”, Mr van Barneveld said.
“I think the worst thing we could ever do is sit by and let someone say that eating meat is a guilty pleasure,” he said.
“Yes, the one thing that we will argue is that something has to die prematurely for that to happen. But if you take the fact that animals are sentient and that they live for the moment, that brings the argument away from the actual death and focuses more on their life. And I see that as a positive.
“I don’t think we should ever feel like it’s a guilty pleasure. We have to do the opposite and show that is a valuable contribution to food. And in the act of killing, it’s not a welfare compromise.”