Farmers deserve a government that backs them, not one that piles on the pressure

21 August 2026

Farmers deserve a government thatbacks them, not one that piles on the pressure

Farmers gathered in Benalla on the 15^th August to take a break fromthe pressures of life on the land, with Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland MPusing the occasion to highlight the growing need for farmers to have certainty,a voice in decisions affecting their properties and a government that respectstheir rights.

Ms Cleeland attended Farmers DayOut, an event created to give local farmers and their families the opportunityto get off the farm, connect with their community and talk openly about thechallenges facing the agricultural sector.

The event was organised by LizHayes, Anna Toland and Genevieve Gleadow, who have built Farmers Day Out intoan annual opportunity for the local farming community to come together.

Ms Cleeland said the pressuresfacing farmers had accumulated over years of disasters, drought, marketuncertainty and increasing government intervention.

“Four years ago I was anagricultural journalist, a farmer and a storyteller for this industry. Ientered politics because I believed in protecting farmers and celebratingagriculture.

“Since then we have had the 2022floods, more flooding in 2023, eighteen months of drought and then devastatingfires in January.

“I sometimes joke that I might bea bad omen for this region, with a disaster every eighteen months on my watch.

“But no one feels that exhaustionmore than our farmers.

“They carry the volatile paycheque, the collapsed market, no rain and then too much rain, the fence builtonly to watch it burn down again.

“That is why a day like thismatters. Sometimes you need to get off the farm, down tools, have a break, askfor help or simply have some fun.”

Ms Cleeland said the pressures onfarmers were not only financial or environmental, but increasingly came fromdecisions being made by governments without adequate regard for the people wholived and worked on the land.

“Farmers should not have to fighttheir own government just to have a say about what happens on their property.

“That is why the Nationals havecommitted to restoring regional voices and rebuilding the rights andprotections that have been eroded over recent years.

“A future Liberal and NationalsGovernment will reinstate the right to appeal through VCAT, restore properenvironmental processes before projects proceed and end powers that allowgovernment to enter private property without consent.

“We will bring back thetwo-kilometre buffer zone and make sure energy investment is directed towardsareas where the demand already exists, rather than forcing projects intoregional communities that do not support them.

“These are not abstract policydebates for farmers. They affect their homes, their businesses, their land andtheir future.”

Ms Cleeland said giving farmersgreater certainty and control was also an important part of addressing themental health pressures facing regional communities.

“Protecting farmers' rights is themental health fight.

“When you have spent your lifebuilding something on your land, only to feel that decisions about it can bemade without you having a meaningful say, that creates enormous stress.

“And that stress is often carriedquietly.”

Ms Cleeland also recognised thework of local community members who are stepping into gaps left by inadequatemental health services.

“I want to acknowledge people likeIvan Lister, who has been rattling a tin and knocking on doors because aneighbour quietly flagged that someone was not doing okay.

“That is the reality of the crisiswe are facing. It is often silent, and it can be deadly.

“We need services, but we alsoneed communities where people know their neighbours, look out for one anotherand feel comfortable asking for help.

“Farmers Day Out showed exactlywhat is possible when a community comes together.

“No farmer should feel they haveto carry all of this alone, and no farmer should feel powerless when decisionsare being made about their land and their livelihood.
“They deserve a government that respects them, listens to them and backs them.”

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