Peter.

Why do you have the gall to write about your problems, as I tend to do I have researched the issue and your emotive piece hides the truth as you well know.

Did you have a spot of bother in PNG in 1983?

Spencer bought his property in the 1980s. It included about 4000 hectares of lightly wooded grazing land that he could not begin to farm for more than a decade, in which time saplings grew all over it.

If you choose to farm in marginal land (e.g. nothing will grow for 6 months because of the cold) or are refused exceptional circumstances funding from a Coalition Federal Govt. because your farm is not viable don’t blame Green Fascism.

You seem to be very good at manipulating the media and getting publicity for yourself.

Maybe you should look at “shedding” for your flock if you are happy to loose 100 in a special pen so they can be eaten by feral dogs or the flyblown sheep dead a week after being docked. (My stepfather would have shot his shepherd for that).

Maybe you should spend more time farming and less complaining. You are not in a war, you are playing at farming. The Monaro has always been a tough place, looks like nothing has changed.

In ending I would delete the bit on your blog about shooting and wounding a cormorant, then leaving it injured hiding in the reeds, they are a protected species in NSW.

Come on Peter stop blaming others for problems of your own making.

Peter I think you're spot on re tree legislation.

Here in SA we're not allowed to cut down any tree that's considered 'Heritage'. When I enquired about what is 'heritage' I was told - "If the tree is big enough to hug, then it's a heritage tree"! Unbelievable.

And to those who are willing to shoot arrows at Peter, I'd like to see how you all fare in the tough country of Eden-Monaro. I doubt that many of you could even cope with one day of farm life.

I think the greens and their mates in the ALP have indeed declared war on farmers in Australia. Whilst it might be nice to have open cages for chickens, I'm sure it must cost a fortune - and the farmer is between a rock and a hard place - he must put his prices up but then lose out to other producers still using old methods of intensive farming.

Good on you Peter - keep on fighting the idiocy of the green march through our primary industries.

Peter, of course you have to go, the greenies, & the lefties hate the idea that someone may do something productive, & a city, either Sydney or Melbourne, from where you are, are going to want your water.
Of course we can't admit it, but we have ways of making it happen, & you thought those laws were badly written by accident.
About 10 years ago I was invited to be a community representative on the WAMP for our local river. Under the water resources section of the Dept of Primary Industries, we were going to look after our river.
With a couple of greenie reps, a dozen producer reps, & a couple of blokes from water resources, we were getting our river, & our usage in order. With a spirit of coperation, we were going to have a healthy river, & productive farms.
Then the Dept of Natural Resources took over DPI, & it all started to go wrong.
We got a pile of "B" grade environmental science graduates, from a "D" grade university showing up, representating all sorts of departments, & we discovered that the invertebrates in the sand, were much more important than agriculture.
We got consultants reports, which were rehashes of the one for the Murry, & water quality reports, for the river, after it had reached surburbia, & wild life reports. It was all so much useless garbage.
After a few years, it became obvious, they wanted our water for Brisbane.
At our last meeting there were 68 people. Only 8 were local people, the rest were all public servants.
When it comes to a contest between justice for country people, & metropolitan water, & votes, its no contest.
Watch out Maryborough, I think you still have some water to be stolen, & pumped to Brisbane.

There are some reasonable posts here, but most missed the point and stuck to their narrow perspectives. I know the Monaro and Shannon flats. Peter can't see the forest for the trees, so fails the first test of sensibility. The land is marginal, thats why it was for sale, it couldn't support feral animals (cows and Sheep).

This country supports a certain kind of life, not animals that don't suit it. If Peter had half a brain, he would be happy his place re-vegetated to an extent. If he were to farm native animals, his problems would be solved. Instead he persists with ferals that destroy the stability of the environment. Farming kangaroos, only requires good fencing and quality control. No clearing, enhanced naturally occurring grass lands, would provide an abundance of food without detriment to anything. Peter could to sit back and watch his money come in and his land regenerate. A win win situation.

No more drenching, anti biotics, feed lots, chemically poisoned land and water ways.

Before you all fall out of your trees, I'm don't eat animal meat. If I did it would be native meats as they are in harmony with the land and tasty, unlike introduced rubbish. When I did eat meat, I preferred roo, as it is a lovely lean tender meat, that doesn't have the toxic residues of introduced meats.

The problem seems to be that people find it shocking to eat our national emblem, but are happy to gorge themselves on animals that have been tortured in so many ways, just for their Macdonald's poisons.

If your going to have a meat industry, why not use the best form there is. It would triple our export markets, being a unique product found nowhere else in the world.

But that won't happen, its to simple and easy to do. We can't have that can we, no we must stick to our debauched practices and everyone continue to suffer. Just So the obese of the world can continue to smell as they do.

I am a farmer in what was once known as the 'dress circle of NSW'. On 32 kms of road, av property size 1,200 acres, only 2 farms have young ones to take over. The rest are older farmers literally wearing down.

30 years ago each farm supported 2 families. Now ALL have outside income. None can make viable income from this acreage and none can therefore afford to expand. Drought loans are exceptionally hard to get and must be paid back. Hope all the city people are aware of that.

Any other discounts on things we receive - as does every business after all - are eaten up by the regulated levies and taxes instituted by government bodies. And to get an increase in our returns brings howls from the public who love to buy more and more possessions, but scream if basic foods get too dear.

So, we get to the point where we sell up and move on. Well, due to our proximity to Sydney, land is becoming more expensive, so our major buyers are high income earners looking for their 'tree change'.

So what does our government do?

Puts a minimum restriction on farm development of 400 ha minimum farm size before you can erect a house and/or start a new farming development. In this shire, less than 10% of farms reach that size.

Currently, all of the centre of NSW is pinned to a farm size that does not allow for growth in any direction. Unless you are fortunate enough to be a Packer and can afford to buy more land, you can go no where.

So my city friends - the days of the cockie carting hay around in the back of his mercedes are long, long gone. We have city friends who have visited over the 30 years, we have all worked as hard as each other, and their asset - their Sydney house - is as valuable as our large acreage, plus they have a life outside their work. Once they envied our life - now they see the reality of it.

Steve, specifically, you question the truth of the article commencing with a remark about PNG.

PNG has been a big part of my life as is the study of the plight of the 3rd and 4th world generally. It is something I am passionately involved in. As a publisher once said about me - Peter is on a crusade regarding these issues.

I have an attic as big as the average bedroom - off my study, with all my PNG papers, of over 30 years. From when I was running my own company, and as Press Secretary, Chief Office Administrator, and Deputy Chief of Staff to a very capable Prime Minister. I, my self, have researched and written prolifically, generally on the subject of Governance and Law and Order in emerging nations. Some authorities speak very highly of this work. It is controversial.

The Dean of Humanities at Bond Paul Wilson say of my work “ I can categorically state that I find your NLOP report the most comprehensive and well planned document I have yet come across.”

My approach to the farm was also researched. The farm is a business with a very detailed business plan put together by one of Australia leading Agri business consultants David Sackett of Holmes Sackett. All the animals are bar coded and managed through bar code reader with lap top computer in the yards.

New England Uni Genetics Div do all the genetics - Top Stud does the soft ware.
The property is supposed to be, because of altitude, climate and types of native grasses, one of the best sites in the world for breeding Ultra fine Saxon sheep.

Two years ago we took out the top 2 positions out of 5 in the finest bales – last year we took out the top 4 out of 5. As the flock started out at only 300 ewes, developing pasture and the necessary re-clearing was not pressing and could be done to suit annually.

More next comment out of space.