Date: 2008-02-19
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The Minister for Regional and Rural Development Jacinta Allan today called on Coalition third in charge Peter Ryan to join her in standing up for dairy farmers and tell Ted Baillieu to stop trying to halt the vital Port of Melbourne channel deepening project.
(Media-Newswire.com) - The Minister for Regional and Rural Development Jacinta Allan today called on Coalition third in charge Peter Ryan to join her in standing up for dairy farmers and tell Ted Baillieu to stop trying to halt the vital Port of Melbourne channel deepening project.
One week into their sham Coalition, the National Party has show it has no spine to stand up to the Liberal Party, failing to stand up for dairy farmers who desperately need channel deepening project to be completed as soon as possible.
Ms Allan said the National Party supported the channel deepening project because it was good for the economy and farmers but the Liberal Party wanted the project stopped.
“Victoria’s $5.1 billion diary industry needs a deeper port to transport exports such as butter, cheeses and milk powders to more than 40 countries,” Ms Allan said. “The dairy industry is a major contributor to the Victorian economy, employing 19,000 people on farms and in processing and generating more than $2.13 billion in exports each year.
“Each year, dairy farmers ship out about 350,000 tonnes of products through the port. At the moment, the port channel is too shallow to allow ships to be fully loaded.
“If we don’t deepen the port, bigger ships will stop coming to Melbourne, forcing dairy farmers to pay extra transport costs and undermine the industry’s international competitiveness. Every day the channel deepening project is delayed will end up costing farmers money and hurt local regional and rural Victorian economies.
“This is just one example of how the Victorian National Party has again sold out country Victorians since rehashing a coalition with the Liberal Party that ripped the heart out of Regional Victoria in the 1990s.”
Ms Allan said the Victorian Farmers Federation rightly supported the dredging because it was good for the environment, the economy and farmers.
“Yet Ted Baillieu’s Bayside Liberals want the project delayed, claiming it needs more monitoring” Ms Allan said. “This is despite a lengthy environmental effects process and an unprecedented environmental monitoring regime now in place.
Ms Allan said Peter Ryan had sold out Regional Victoria again by getting back into bed with the Liberals.
“Regional Victorians have not forgotten the way they were treated when these parties merged in the 90s,” Ms Allan said. “Peter Ryan supported Jeff Kennett when he referred to Regional Victoria as the ‘toenails’ of Victoria.
“Peter Ryan voted with the Liberal Party 1150 times to shut down schools, hospitals and vital services, and regional Victorians know he will again be a puppet of the Liberals.”