Mr. Donnacha Anhold:

I thank the Senator for his questions. He asked about arbitration. It is an option, but it is a contentious process. There is a legal process that needs to be invoked. It takes time and costs money on both sides. It should be a last resort. The farmers want somebody to talk to and someone who will deal with them. Farming is a physical activity. All aspects of farming, including forestry farming, are dealt with on a face-to-face basis. People need to meet each other and talk. That is nature. It is true in timber and forestry. Some parts of forestry will thrive and others will not. That is a natural process. It takes management. That requires sometime to meet the farmers and tell them what is being done to repair and manage the situation and make it good again. The farmers feel left out in that respect. The legal process should be a process of last resort in many respects. The reason I have been asked by farmers, including the two farmers in attendance, Ms Corcoran and Mr. King, to speak for them is because they want more engagement. They want this process to work.

It can work, but it just needs more effort and time.