Multi-generational Mitta Valley farming families, who have survived droughts, floods, bushfires and most recently COVID-19, are facing a potentially bigger threat to their livelihoods.
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Crown land water frontages they require and pay a licence to use will be open slather for campers come September after legislation passed through the Victorian upper house of parliament earlier this year with minimal opposition from crossbenchers including Wodonga-based Tim Quilty.
Campers have the green light to roll in and stay for 28 days, bring their pets and light campfires with wood off-limits to the licence holder unless granted a permit.
Locals can't even erect signage warning visitors of dangers in certain spots on their properties.
Anger is building in one of the region's major beef producing areas because the Mitta River has been identified as one of five priority rivers in the state by peak fishing body, the Victorian Fishing Authority.
A community meeting was attended by more than 100 people two weeks ago and a follow up meeting with relevant stakeholders including the VFA chief executive Travis Dowling and project officer Anthony McGrath.
Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning representatives were also in attendance.
Mitta's Thomas Giltrap, a fourth generation farmer in the area, fears unless the community speaks up during a six-week period to respond to the draft regulations livelihoods will be put at risk.
"It doesn't pass the pub test to roll this out in September," he said.
"It has to be delayed until March so they can find appropriate resources to man this up and not take those required resources away from other critical work such as bushfire season preparation.
"The only solution I can see, which is going to work for the recreational user and farmer, is for a risk assessment to be done by various bodies including Country Fire Authority, catchment management authority, DELWP and the farmer," he said.
"Anything less than that is going to be a debacle."
An extension to the public consultation period is also be sought.
"Presently no one goes and camps without speaking to the farmer," Mr Giltrap said.
"If friends and family come up and say they want to stay for 28 days they will be told to go somewhere else.
"But if they come for three or four days farmers will pick the paddock they can go to depending where the cattle are in their rotation.
"It's been a really poor thought out policy."
Mitta Valley Landcare Group president Judy Cardwell and her husband Alec run a farm at nearby Mitta North which will also be impacted by the changes.
She said biosecurity rules were being completely ignored and strict requirements for European Union accredited cattle were being put at risk.
"It will be the end of a huge industry if you don't comply with those rules," she said.
"They include not letting anyone on your property and are so strict.
"It means the export of meat from Victoria to a range of countries could be curtailed with disastrous effects for cattle farmers.
"Even DELWP rules for agricultural licence holders say you need to take all reasonable steps to eradicate regionally prohibited weeds.
"But now we're going to have people driving down from Queensland with a cane toad in the back of your car.
"It's open slather for free camping."
Another Mitta Valley farmer John Scales estimated there were already 433 camping sites along the Mitta River and Snowy Creek between Mitta and Tallangatta which could be upgraded.
"It could be a more user-friendly alternative and not make farmers jump through hoops and comply with different rules to what apply now," he said.
"I see it as a joint venture with the local progress association, angling club, service clubs working alongside DEWLP and Victorian Fishing Authority to achieve this."
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Farmers have photographic evidence of broken bottles already left at existing camp sites.
Mr Giltrap is hoping a public meeting can be held in Wodonga with agriculture minister Mary-Anne Thomas and environment minister Lily D'Ambrosio in attendance to hear the concerns of locals.
"If the legislation hadn't of been passed and gazetted already we wouldn't be in this position," he said.
"It wouldn't have made it through the upper house with the angst it is making in the community.
"There were 40 pages in the bill and it was presented by the government as a chance to tidy up bits of legislation.
"It got to the upper house and there were no amendments made.
"The catchment management authority have been working alongside farmers for the last 30 years on many fronts, fencing off areas, revegetating them, pulling out willows, great outcomes for waterways.
"But there has been zero consultation with them.
"And the local people at DELWP, who will be enforcing it, the first they heard about it was when a farmer rolled in and asked what was going on."
Mr Quilty told parliament: "As a regional MP from a farming background, I found this bill difficult, possibly one of the most personally difficult ones I have dealt with in the last two years.
"I have listened to the landholders who have contacted me with a great deal of sympathy. I absolutely understand their concerns, and I share some of them.
"However, as a party, the Liberal Democrats' position is clear. Public access to public lands is something I have repeated many times in this place."
Mr Quilty acknowledged the bill would impact farmers.
"There will inevitably be trespass," he said.
"There will, from time to time, be animals attacked. Bushfires may break out. These risks cannot be denied.
"However, this bill also represents an opportunity for the users of this Crown land to work together to manage it."
Mr Giltrap said one of his biggest concerns was campers turning up unannounced and not needing the permission of farmers to go onto their property to reach a riverside camping spot.
"They are able to access our workplace with children, pets and alcohol and interact with livestock and machinery, but we can't even erect a sign advising them that there is a safety concern on the property," he said.
"We have no right to say to them you are putting yourself in danger.
"The river here could come up a metre and a half overnight without warning.
"We are also concerned there won't be appropriate resources readily available to manage the increase risk of fire.
"Under this scenario campers could be miles off the beaten track and you can't get a fire tanker in there.
"It is a disaster waiting to happen."
Mrs Cardwell is also concerned about liability issues in the event a camper is injured.
"Farms are deemed to be a workplace," she said.
"The owner of a property can therefore be charged with industrial manslaughter, which carries a penalty of up to 25 years jail, if someone were to die on their licenced property in a workplace accident.
"This legislation applies not just to employees of a workplace, but also to visitors."
A government spokesperson defended the legislation.
"We are delivering on a commitment we made to Victorian's at the 2018 election that has been welcomed by over 800,000 fishers and campers," they said.
"The new regulations will give Victorian Fisheries Authority power to prosecute people who chose to disregard Victorian laws.
"There will be a 24-hour hotline for reporting misconduct and the Victorian Fisheries Authority will continue to work together with the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Parks Victoria and Victoria Police to enforce regulations once they are in place.
"We're undertaking a six-week consultation process on the draft regulations to listen to the views of all impacted stakeholders and ensure that the regulations appropriately manage access arrangements for these new camping sites."
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