Why Australian farmers are fed up with people taking selfies in canola fields full of yellow flowers

Australian farmers have explained why they are tired of tourists sneaking into their rapeseed fields to take photos, fearing they could pose serious biosecurity risks.

The social media trend of taking selfies with fields of bright yellow flowers on Aussie rural properties is increasing each spring season.

But the invaders have blocked roads, climbed barriers, cut fences and sometimes refused to leave.

Cowra Canola Tours, 300km west of Sydney, offer guided and flying tours of the fields (photo, an aerial view of an Aussie canola field)

Tourists wishing to take photos in canola fields this season can do so safely through registered tour operators (photo, a NSW canola field in bloom)

Farmer Tony Flanery found a few ‘literally two kilometers’ from the road taking pictures in his fields in Galgong, 100km northwest of Canberra.

Farmer Tony Flanery (pictured) found a few ‘literally two miles’ of road from his property taking pictures in fields in Galgong, 100km northwest of Canberra

The wheat and canola grower said it was nearly impossible to drive them off his land.

“They actually refused to leave. As if they had put the camera on a tripod and were getting ready for the afternoon,” he said the Watcher.

He said another farmer in Boorowa had intruders hack through his fence to get a car into the paddock so they could take pictures hanging outside the car.

Tim Condon (pictured) works with farmers in NSW and said the violators pose a ‘direct biosecurity risk’

Tim Condon, who works with farmers in NSW, north of the capital, said the social media craze is becoming a problem.

“There has been a promotion in Canberra to do the canola drive, and people drive randomly to a farm, stop and wander through a crop,” Mr Condon said.

“They pose an outright biosecurity risk in the current environment, so that’s a concern for growers.”

It is feared that invaders could introduce a contagious viral disease such as foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), which can kill young animals.

Mr Flanery said farmers are responsible for monitoring how many visitors their properties receive under the latest amendments to the NSW Biosecurity Act.

Growers have to manage their own biosecurity plan, so if there were an outbreak of FMD, farmers could be compensated.

But if they can’t give an accurate number of visitors, the government could say they’re not executing their plan properly.

There is also an issue of road safety for commuters.

Mr Flanery and Mr Condon said they had both seen cars parked in ‘dangerous positions’ in the area just to take pictures with the flowers.

Violators blocked roads, climbed barriers and cut fences, and refused to leave to get an Insta-worthy shot (pictured, a stock photo)

Tim Condon said he’s seen people standing on roads taking pictures of canola fields (pictured, a stock photo)

Condon said he was driving in Harden-Murrumburrah, in southwestern NSW, when he hit the breaks where two families had stopped to take pictures of the fields.

He said there were kids on the other side of the road taking pictures.

Mr Flanery said the tourists were welcome to come and take photos in the area, but they should know that their actions could have consequences.

Tourists wishing to take photos in rapeseed fields this season can do so safely through registered tour operators.

Cowra Canola tours, 300km west of Sydney, offers guided and flying tours through the fields.

Farmer Tony Flanery said he found a few ‘literally two miles’ of road setting up a tripod in his fields – he couldn’t stake them out (pictured, a stock image)

Mr Flanery and Mr Condon said they had both seen cars parked in ‘dangerous positions’ in the area to take pictures with the flowers (photo, canola farms in Western Australia)