Media Releases

A Victorian Liberal Nationals Coalition Government would provide insecticide to Victorian
farmers and local government to control locust hatchings in spring.
Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Deputy Leader of The Nationals Peter Walsh said
immediate decisions were needed to start the campaign to control locust hatchings in the
spring to stop the entire state being damaged to a greater degree than already
experienced in north-west Victoria this autumn.
“In government, the Coalition would immediately open a competitive tendering process for
the supply of knockdown and residual insecticide and fund the purchase of that insecticide,
with the 90 to 120-day lead time that is needed to ensure sufficient chemicals could be
manufactured,” Mr Walsh said.
“This process should ensure there is sufficient insecticide to spray up to two million
hectares of public, private and local government-controlled land that will be affected by
spring locust hatchings.”
Mr Walsh said the Coalition would also ensure the availability of enough aircraft to spray
hatchings on both public and private land before locusts started to fly.
“We would also ensure the relevant insecticides had current registration for locust control,”
Mr Walsh said.
“It is deeply concerning that the Brumby Government has failed to outline any course of
action.
“Labor’s refusal to act on locusts is leaving all Victorian food producers and communities
dangerously exposed to an unprecedented spring locust plague.”
Mr Walsh said without immediate action from the government to guarantee the supply of
chemicals, it was highly likely food producers and government departments would face
insecticide shortages.
“New South Wales and South Australia are already preparing for next season but
Victoria’s incompetent Minister for Agriculture Joe Helper has refused to admit the true
extent of the threat from locusts to Victoria’s food security.
“Farmers cannot afford for the Brumby Government to wait until November before it
decides locusts are a problem, because by then it will be too late,” Mr Walsh said.