OUR politicians and those aligned with them are the first to tell us about Australia’s mental health epidemic especially among men in rural communities. They throw countless dollars at programs – many of which are not hitting the mark or going where they should. As a result, our suicide rate remains one of the worst in the world with no sign of abating and they wonder why?
Andrew Cumming, a 63-year-old farming manager of a large-scale agricultural enterprise in the Bland Shire, who has appeared in these pages before, remains in an increasingly difficult battle nearly six months since he last appeared on the front page of the West Wyalong Advocate, November 8, 2024. Cumming is not just fighting against bureaucracy but against his own demons and mental health. It is a real consequence of the deplorable and non-consultative approach the NSW ALP Government has taken towards regional landholders, managing native vegetation on their land. After more than 40 years of working the land in the heart of Bland Shire, Cumming has taken an early retirement due to the ongoing stress from the weight of responsibility he feels due to the legal notices and compliance demands that continues to take its toll despite a meeting not even a fortnight ago with NSW ALP powerbrokers assuring him and others that a resolution was near.
Cumming is one of many battling the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change, Energy and Water (NSW DECCEW) who has incorrectly mapped the areas of native vegetation in the West Wyalong area. In the Monaro region and Liverpool Plains, it’s native grasses, here it’s Mallee Broombush and Mallee and no doubt there are others too across the “Premier State” – many just don’t know it yet that they can’t touch their land and make an income from it. If in error they do, they too will feel the heavy hand of the NSW Government.
For nearly four decades, Cumming has been a proud part of the local farming community, where he has managed Australia’s longest running eucalyptus plantation and large-scale enterprise, the planting of 5,000,000 native blue mallee and maleluca seedlings, a career highlight. Cumming has a great reputation among those of his ilk. He is hard working, dedicated and passionate. He lives and breathes his work and was looking forward to farming the native vegetation on his own farm nearby during his retirement. But in 2021, things started to change for the worse – at a time when the world was locking down too no less.
In 2021, the then Coalition NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change, Energy and Water (NSW DECCEW) began issuing notices regarding alleged illegal land clearing, a claim he vehemently denies. Despite a meeting with the Bland Shire Right to Farm Group and representatives from the DECCEW, including Minister Penny Sharpe, just over two weeks ago to discuss potential resolutions, Cumming received yet another notice last week, reigniting the stress and confusion that has already heavily impacted his mental health.
“I feel like I’m being interrogated,” Cumming said, referring to the Notice of Interrogation he recently received.
“They made me believe the questionnaire I was filling out was to help improve the situation, not to use it against me. Now I’m floored, shocked, and dismayed. It’s affected my family, my livelihood, and most of all, my mental health. After four decades of working the land, I’m now doubting myself with everything I do. These are accusations based on errors of the NSW Government map and this needs to be resolved.”
The notices, which Cumming refers to as a “barrage of paperwork,” have left him feeling powerless. The latest letter from the DECCEW came as a stark reminder of the ongoing pressure he’s under, despite the promises of a more collaborative approach made during the recent meeting with Minister Sharpe who acknowledged the difference between land clearing and harvesting. Cumming describes his experience with the compliance department as a continuous cycle of confusion and frustration, leaving him feeling more isolated with each passing day. The department is notorious for its heavy-handedness against farmers and “someone in Compliance must not have received the Minister’s memo about working together to find a solution.” Turns out, they hadn’t and perhaps didn’t even know about the meeting with landholders.
Hard to believe considering they all fall under the same umbrella that the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing.
“I’m just one of many farmers in this position, but it feels like they’re making it harder and harder to stay afloat,” said Cumming (pictured with NSW MP Steph Cooke).
“The compliance department needs to understand that this isn’t just about regulations on paper; it’s about real people, families, and livelihoods that are being affected. They act like they hate us and treat us like criminals! Tje fact is, this is due to a NSW Government mapping mistake that should have been resolved by now. The department says to put in a map review. This has been done for no result. The accusations continue, it’s so wrong and I am powerless.”
Cumming’s mental health has taken a significant hit in the process. Like many farmers, the pressure of constantly navigating complex government regulations, compounded by the stress of ensuring his farm’s viability, has left him struggling with anxiety and depression. The ongoing battle with the DECCEW has only worsened his emotional state, and the impact on his family has been profound.
“I’ve spent my whole life doing work that I love. Now in retirement, I have plants ready on my own property ready to harvest but by law I am not allowed to even touch them!” Cumming said.
“But now, with the constant barrage of notices and the weight of it all, I’m questioning whether I can continue and if it’s all worth it. The stress is overwhelming – I am lucky I have a loving family by my side who have never wavered.”
Cumming is not alone in this struggle. Farming communities across New South Wales have long fought against what they see as overreaching regulations and punitive measures from government agencies. The broader farming community is calling for a clearer, more supportive framework that doesn’t punish hard-working landholders but rather helps them work in harmony with environmental goals.
The Bland Shire Landholders Right to Farm Group has been advocating for farmers like Cumming, pushing for more transparency and fairer treatment from the DECCEW. They have been working to facilitate better communication between the government and local farmers to resolve issues before they escalate into what many see as bureaucratic red tape.
As for Cumming, his situation is dire, but he remains committed to his land and his community. However, the future of his retirement plans remains uncertain.
“I love the land. I always have. But I don’t know how much more I can take,” he said.
“I just want to be treated fairly. We all deserve that. I’m South African and we always thought Australia was the land of a ’fair go’ for all.”
While the ongoing negotiations between farmers and the DECCEW are expected to continue, it’s clear that more support is needed for farmers facing mental health challenges due to the strain of compliance and regulation.
“No one has contacted us regarding health services. We have done nothing wrong. This is an error in NSW Government mapping that needs to be rectified.
“I’m not holding my breath that I will get any form of effective communication from the state government.”
As Cumming’s story highlights, the impact of bureaucracy is not just economic - its deeply personal, creating ripple effects and impacts that extend beyond current generations.
“At some point, the madness in this country has to stop. We all acknowledge the importance of environment but what use is a healthy environment if we have nothing to eat, drink or clothe and shelter ourselves with?” he said.
“Some of these people need to get out from behind their desks and come and take a look at the real world out here and understand that a magic food fairy doesn’t drop off the fruit and produce their food or the clothes they wear at the markets.
“We have fought hard for what we have and yet with the stroke of a pen or a tap of a keyboard button it can all change in an instant! We are real people who live real lives and have real challenges too!”
“For those who have fought for it, life has a meaning the sheltered will never know,” Cumming said.
Never a truer word spoken.
Read More: West Wyalong
