SUSPEND REGULATION AND SAVE THE STOCK
Member for Western Victoria Region, Bev McArthur has proposed an immediate suspension of any relevant state and federal regulation that inhibits the accessibility of roadside grazing and droving permits.
Cattle in bushfire-affected areas are suffering from a lack of feed and a contaminated water supply, while Western Victoria’s roadsides are lined with rampant vegetation suitable for livestock feed.
Mrs McArthur wrote a letter to the Minister for Agriculture, Jaclyn Symes, pleading with her to “correspond with the Minister for Roads and the Minister for Environment, to do whatever is practicable in allowing roadside grazing to more easily occur in this time of crisis.”
Ms Symes recently told the media that “if you lose your stock you lose your livelihood”.
Mrs McArthur said “I couldn’t agree more.”
“Farmers in fire-affected communities desperately require agistment and clean water for their stock. Locals in Western Victoria drive on roads plagued by out-of-control vegetation; local councils struggle to reduce the fuel load and we risk roadsides becoming fire wicks.”
“Donations to Wildlife Victoria and the CFA are obviously charitable and thoughtful, but the real crisis facing these communities is that facing stock owners. No amount of clothes, money or hay is going to keep cattle alive without water.”
“It’s imperative that over-zealous regulations that prevent fire-affected farmers from obtaining roadside grazing permits are suspended for at least 12 months, so that ‘the long paddock’ becomes the saviour of our fire-ravaged livestock.”
“The Agriculture Minister is absolutely right. The livelihoods of hundreds of farmers is at risk due to the bureaucracy-on-steroids approach that prevents stock from having sufficient feed and clean water. If agistment cannot be found on existing farming properties, our roadsides might be the only solution.”
ENDS
14 January 2020