FRAMING the Greens as a threat to farmers is a favourite tactic by the other political parties, but as time goes on, the things that divide us are dwarfed by our common ground.

Speaking at the recent Victorian Farmers Federation conference in Ballarat, I shared my confidence that the Greens and our rural and regional communities agree with each other more than we disagree, and fundamental to that is our shared passion for caring and nurturing our land.

We want our rural and regional communities to thrive. We have developed our most comprehensive policy for rural and regional Victoria and it is underpinned by tackling the challenges we face together head-on including climate change, water, transport, technology, community services.

Among the biggest threats to long- term sustainable farming in Victoria is drought.

Farmers are often the first to be hit by the effects of climate change, and they are hit hard. Water is so crucial to the flow of rural and regional life, and with weather patterns become increasingly unpredictable, relying on regular rainfall is no longer a given.

The longer we prop up a fossil fuel industry that is having a direct impact on climate, the more we risk the productivity of farmland. That is why the Greens want to make the moratorium on onshore gas drilling permanent.

The Greens want our councils to be better funded, taking pressure off rates and reducing those bills.

Successive governments have stripped back services in regional Victoria. Passenger and freight rail services have been cut and the lines left to rust.

We want immediate funding for faster more frequent rail services and to get more freight on rail. More health and mental health services are critically needed. The lack of reliable high-speed internet is undermining businesses.

The Greens want a Victoria where people have the services and environment they need to make a great life, regardless of where they live. And I am confident that’s a goal we can all share.

• Samantha Ratnam is leader of the Victorian Greens