Farmers from around Australia marched to the federal parliament house in the nation's capital on Tuesday. They are demanding compensation for what they describe as an “erosion” of land rights from environmental legislation.

The president of a farmers association spoke of concerns regarding the legislation covering a broad range of issues.

[Charles Armstrong, President, New South Wales Farmer’s Assoc.]:
“It's an important day. It just doesn't cover native vegetation. It covers water, it covers mining, it covers even as much as shop-fronts in urban areas where they might have had some loss of income or some loss of value of their property as a result of a state driven development. So it's a very broad issue.”

People, both young and old, held placards and some sang as they gathered together.

The farmers believe previous federal governments have pressured state governments into banning the farmers from clearing their land in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

This reduction in land clearing directly affects farming enterprises and farmers are demanding compensation.

Australia produces about 1.5 percent of global emissions and is one of the world's highest per capita emitters of greenhouse gases.