Majura Valley farmers have cautiously welcomed a breakthrough in their two-decade lease saga after ACT Planning Minister Chris Steel on Friday offered them a 25-year lease with no withdrawal clause.
Mr Steel said the government had agreed to the 25-year leases in-principle, depending on the outcome of negotiations with the Commonwealth regarding a land transfer on the farms.
The offer from Mr Steel comes in the same week the farmers erected protest signs on the Majura Road and Majura Parkway drawing attention to their fight for long-term security on their properties.
The leases are also unlikely to come into effect before the October 19 election, Mr Steel saying special laws may have to be drafted to issue the leases and that would not happen until "the next term of government".
Paul Keir's family has farmed in the Majura Valley since 1956 but have not had a lease since 2005.
Mr Keir said at the back of his mind was the offer of a 25-year lease made in 2022 by then Planning Minister Mick Gentleman which came to nothing.
However, Mr Keir said he spoke to Mr Steel and a Greens representative on Friday and was feeling more hopeful, especially as the offer had Cabinet approval.
"My heart's racing," Mr Keir said.
"I feel like I don't want to be let down. I want to be happy but there's a little bit inside me saying, 'Just wait. Just wait'."
Labor is now matching the Liberals' commitment to put the farmers on 25-year leases, the opposition saying months ago that would be its stance.
The Greens this week also announced as part of an election initiative that it would "protect prime agricultural land ... so farmers have fair, long-term leases".
Anne McGrath from Majura Valley Free Range Eggs, bought the Majura Road property in 1999 with her husband Nick Weber, who passed away in 2020. She and her children run the farm. The family has also not had a lease since 2005.
Ms McGrath said she was happy Mr Steel had made the offer.
"I'm happy that they've finally made a decision," she said.
"As long as they give us a definitive date and say it's definitely going to happen, I'm happy."
Ms McGrath was also informed on Friday that an historic part of her property was now heritage-listed.
The ACT Heritage Council at its meeting this week decided to register Majura House and property to the Heritage Register.
Majura House was a sandstone homestead built in the 1840s for Alfred Mayo, who was an overseer for Robert Campbell of Duntroon.
Ms McGrath said she believed the heritage listing would help to preserve the farm, making any industrial development in future years more difficult.
Farmers' advocate Sherry McArdle-English said: "This has been a long and challenging journey for the farmers in the Majura Valley.
"At last we can see the sun beginning to rise again over a farming community with wonderful agri-tourism plans for the future."
Mr Steel issued a statement on Friday, saying he had informed the farmers of the lease offer.
"I called the Majura Valley split block farmers earlier today to advise them of a significant positive step towards ending this long-running saga," he said.
"Having been Planning Minister for a period of nine months, I acknowledge that this issue has been going on for almost 20 years and that it needed to be resolved as soon as possible.
"However, we needed to be sure that any changes to land tenure would have the right legal effect for both the farmers and the government.
"The ACT government's commitment to the farmers today is in-principle support to provide 25-year leases with no withdrawal clause.
"The no-withdrawal clause is significant because this means the farmers can continue to use their land, with certainty, for the full 25-year term of the proposed future leases.
"However, beyond the 25 years, the government has identified that the land may be needed for future potential development to support the long-term industrial and employment needs of the territory, subject to further investigation to finalise its suitability for this purpose.
"The next step is to finalise formal negotiations with the Commonwealth to settle the terms, and the Commonwealth degazetting and transferring the national land portion of the split blocks to the ACT government.
"If special legislation is required to issue new leases to the farmers, we will introduce this next term to give effect to the land tenure arrangements.
"I'd like to thank the farmers for their continued advocacy as we worked through what is a complex matter and look forward to hearing more about the plans they have for their properties."
