Friday 20 July 2018
An elected Liberal Nationals Government will help support Victorian farmers and land managers in the fight against weeds and pest animals with a new taskforce that will properly enforce laws.
Weeds strangle the productivity of our farmers costing an estimated $4 billion through yield losses and product contamination across the nation each year.
An elected Liberal Nationals Government will provide an additional $6.88 million over four years in a new weeds and pest animal enforcement taskforce which will be established in Agriculture Victoria.
The taskforce will strengthen compliance with Victorian laws and will support the hard work of landowners who already properly manage weeds and pest animals.
Supporting our farmers and land managers just isn’t a priority for Labor.
Weeds and pest animals are running rampant after Daniel Andrews cut the Department’s number of property inspections and has failed to enforce laws which are in place to protect private and public land.
It’s left landholders who do the right thing by controlling invasive species on their own properties negatively impacted by neighbours who flout laws which are not being properly enforced.
Comments attributable to Leader of The Nationals and Shadow Minister for Agriculture Peter Walsh
A Liberal Nationals Government will boost enforcement activity with a new dedicated taskforce.
We need to urgently reverse the damage Daniel Andrews has caused by cutting inspection rates and failing to properly enforce weed and pest animal laws.
There are lots of farmers who do the right thing spend money and do the grunt work controlling weeds and pests on their properties but all that good work is undone if recalcitrant neighbours flout the laws.
Weeds and pests like rabbits can severely impact on productivity so it is critical that we do everything we can to support farmers because profitable farm businesses are critical for local economies and jobs throughout Regional Victoria.