Australian farmers have explained why they are sick of tourists sneaking into their canola fields to take photos, with fears they could cause serious biosecurity risks.
The social media trend of snapping selfies with fields of bright yellow flowers on rural Aussie properties ramps up each Spring season.
But the trespassers have been blocking roads, climbing barriers, cutting through fences and at times, refusing to leave.
The social media trend of snapping selfies with bright yellow flowers on rural Aussie properties ramps up each Spring season (stock picture)
Cowra Canola tours, 300km west of Sydney, offer guided and flying tours of the fields (pictured, an aerial view of an Aussie canola field)
Tourists who want to take snaps in canola fields this season can safely do so through registered tour operators (pictured, a NSW canola field in bloom)
Farmer Tony Flanery found a couple ‘literally two kilometres’ from the road taking photos in his fields in Galgong, 100km north west of Canberra.
Farmer Tony Flanery (pictured) found a couple ‘literally two kilometres’ from the road of his property taking photos in fields in Galgong, 100km north west of Canberra
The wheat and canola grower said it was almost impossible to evict them from his land.
‘They basically refused to leave. Like they had the camera set up on a tripod and were settling in for the afternoon,’ he told the Guardian.
He said another farmer in Boorowa had trespassers cut through his fence to get a car into the paddock, so they could take photos hanging out of the car.
Tim Condon (pictured) works with farmers in NSW and said the trespassers are a ‘straight up biosecurity risk’
Tim Condon, who works with farmers in NSW, north of the capital city, said the social media craze is becoming a problem.
‘There has been a promotion in Canberra to go do the canola drive, and people are just randomly driving out to a farm, pull up and wander through a crop,’ Mr Condon said.
‘They’re straight up a biosecurity risk in the current environment, so that’s a concern for growers.’
There are fears trespassers may bring in a contagious viral disease like foot-and-mouth (FMD), that can kill young animals.
Mr Flanery said farmers are responsible for monitoring how many visitors their properties host under the latest changes in the NSW Biosecurity Act.
Growers have to manage their own biosecurity plan, so if there was a break out of FMD, farmers would be able to get compensation.
But if they can’t provide an accurate number of visitors the government could say they are not enforcing their plan properly.
There is also a question of road safety for commuters.
Mr Flanery and Mr Condon said they had both seen cars parked in ‘dangerous positions’ in the area just to get pictures with the flowers.
Trespassers have been blocking roads, climbing barriers and cutting through fences and refusing to leave in order to get an Insta-worthy shot (pictured, a stock image)
Tim Condon said he has seen people standing on roads to take photos of canola fields (pictured, a stock picture)
Mr Condon said he was driving in Harden-Murrumburrah, in south-west NSW, when he slammed on the breaks where two families had stopped to take photos of the fields.
He said kids were standing across the road taking photos.
Mr Flanery said the tourists were welcome to come and take photos in the area but they should know their actions can have consequences.
Tourist wanting to take snaps in canola fields this season can safely do so through registered tour operators.
Cowra Canola tours, 300km west of Sydney, offers guided and flying tours of the fields.
Farmer Tony Flanery said he found a couple ‘literally two kilometres’ from the road who were setting up a tripod in his fields – he wasn’t able to evict them (pictured, a stock image)
Mr Flanery and Mr Condon said they had both seen cars parked in ‘dangerous positions’ in the area just to get pictures with the flowers (pictured, canola farms in Western Australia)