Agriculture Minister Jaala Pulford has embarrassingly admitted she has no idea of serious concerns with the implementation of electronic identification (eID) of sheep and goats. Victorian saleyard operators say they won’t be ready to scan eID tags by March 2018 because the software they need to share data with the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS)…
Background Daniel Andrews has snubbed the views of Victorian farmers by failing to consult with Victoria’s livestock and intensive industries before establishing Animal Welfare Victoria. Animal Welfare Victoria was announced under the cover of darkness, without consultation with Victoria’s peak farmer group, the Victorian Farmers Federation or the Livestock Industry Consultative Committee (LICC). LICC was…
Today, Matthew Guy and Peter Walsh announced the Liberal Nationals policy on onshore gas. Matthew Guy’s statement is below. Statement from Opposition Leader Matthew Guy Today, Peter Walsh and I announce an onshore gas policy that will give Victorians a clear choice at the next election. This policy will help put the brakes on soaring…
The Andrews Government has disgracefully abandoned 260 workers at Australian Sustainable Hardwoods’ Heyfield mill by failing to guarantee a viable timber supply. Labor’s half-baked offer to purchase the mill at the 11th hour again confirms Daniel Andrews has no problem playing political games with Victorian jobs. Instead, Daniel Andrews has chosen green preferences over real…
An elected Liberal Nationals government would be committed to keeping jobs in the Latrobe Valley. Unemployment was up 50 per cent in the past two years in the Valley, even before 750 people lost their job at Hazelwood Power Station in March. Wood processor Carter Holt Harvey yesterday flagged closure of its Morwell sawmill which…
The Nationals MPs Danny O’Brien and Melina Bath have congratulated the South Gippsland community on a successful campaign to ‘dump the dump’ at Leongatha South. Mr O’Brien and Ms Bath joined community campaigners at the site after news that multinational waste firm Veolia had abandoned any plans it had to pursue the proposed rubbish dump…
The Resources Legislation Amendment (Fracking Ban) Bill 2016 will pass Parliament. In 2012 the Liberal Nationals Government announced a gas moratorium and in 2015 we committed to an extension of the existing onshore gas moratorium until 30 June 2020. The Liberal Nationals support the ban on fracking. Indeed, fracking has never occurred under a Liberal…
Agriculture Minister Jaala Pulford today failed to explain why the State Government’s long-promised plan for hunting in Victoria is not being released. In question time today, The Nationals’ new Member for Northern Victoria Luke O’Sullivan asked Minister Pulford to explain the five month delay in the release of the Sustainable Hunting Action Plan. Field and…
Agriculture Minister Jaala Pulford has refused to answer how her State Government will further support Victoria’s dairy farmers, despite her complaints that the Federal Government’s $579 million assistance package is not enough. Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce announced a $555 million concessional loans scheme last month after Murray Goulburn and Fonterra unexpectedly slashed milk prices.…
The Liberal-Nationals Coalition continues to support a buy-back of commercial netting licences for Port Phillip Bay, including Corio Bay. The Coalition committed to the policy during the lead up to the November 2014 election. The Coalition’s initiative was then adopted by the Victorian Labor Party. Today the Andrews Labor Government introduced the Fisheries Amendment Bill…
The Andrews Government has again failed to properly fund the protection of Victorian riverbanks. Before the last election, the Coalition committed to a $45 million program for fencing Crown Land river frontages. Today Lisa Neville has re-announced $10 million already listed in the 2015/16 Budget (BP3, p56). There is no funding for riparian land care in the forward estimates. The…
The Victoria Liberal-Nationals Coalition has urged the Andrews Labor Government to finalise a concessional loans package and consider offering municipal rates rebates and other practical support to Victoria’s drought affected farm communities. Comments from Leader of The Nationals and Shadow Agriculture Minister Peter Walsh: “On behalf of our struggling farmers, we strongly urge the Andrews…