SAFF chief executive officer Carol Vincent used the floor at a Rural Media forum last week to pitch the proposal and highlight the inequalities of the Mining Act (1971) for farmers.

She said the Act was outdated legislation and should be "thrown out the door".

"We want the Act rewritten and a total exclusion band put around prime agricultural land," Ms Vincent said

"We must ensure that mining exploration leases don't have the capacity to fundamentally erode the ability of prime agricultural land to address food security.

"Mining erodes the basic principles of a farmers' right to farm."

Ms Vincent said she wanted an "open and honest" discussion with governments, farmers and mining companies to assess the needs of the farmer, food security and the State's economy.

She said farmers also felt powerless bringing their cases before the Warden's Court. Ian and Sue Jettner, Strathalbyn, who attended the forum, said the Mining Act offered no protection and failed to adequately compensate them for their losses.

They also questioned what would happen to landowners who fell just outside the proposed mining exclusion zones.

Tanunda farmer Peter Grocke agreed.

"The problems with exclusion zones is that lines must be drawn on a map - so what happens to those farmers who fall on the wrong side of the line?" he said.

"Until the social and economic injustices of the Act are emended, there will be no equality and no way forward."

He said it was all "well and good" for SAFF chief executive officer Carol Vincent to propose a mining exclusion zone for prime agricultural land, but he said SAFF had yet to submit their proposals for consideration under the Mining Amendment Bill 2009.

"My advice to other farmers confronted with the threat of mining exploration or mining is to seek legal advice from a firm that specialises in mining law because without this farmers do not stand a fair chance in defending themselves," Mr Grocke said.

He also slammed former Agriculture Minister Rory McEwen for "complete inaction" and hoped the Liberal party would take a firmer stance.

* Extract from a full report in Stock Journal, July 30 issue.