Gippsland Farmer June 2025

SWEET SUCCESS

ANIMAL HEALTH &WELLBEING

BRILLIANT BOWLO

Blake METCALF-HOLTAND Aidan KNIGHT

NO more.

Enough is enough.

Scrap the tax.

THESE werejust afew of the sentiments that flowed through the local protest against the recently instated Emergency Services Levy Bill last month, which began outside the Morwell office ofstate government frontbencher Harriet Shing.

Close to 150 people of amix of farmers, volunteer firefighters, and supporting and af fected citizens assembled to renounce the new changes, with police blocking the section of road just before10am forthe peaceful yet explicit demonstration.

After discussions between organisers and local police, plans shifted, and many protesters marched up Commercial Road to the Latrobe ValleyMagistrates' Court, which was still in the thick of the Erin Patterson Trial, making their voice loud and clear

The doubled rates wereconfirmed days out from the Victorian State Budget, expanding

the previousFireServices Property Levy (FSPL) into abroader fund that extends to services such as the SES and Emergency Recovery Victoria under the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund Levy (ESVF).

To securecrossbenchsupport, the state gover nment agreed to amend the bill, dropping the levy for far mers from an initially proposed variable rate of 83 cents per $1000 of the value of the land to 71.8c per $1000.

Beforehand, under the FSPL, it was 28.7c per $1000.

The ESVFL is to officially replace the FSPL and begin on July 1.

Boisdale far mer TomHowson made the trip down to the Latrobe Valley to show his support and distain for the recent changes, and how it's deeply effecting his cattle farm.

"People from the country arefed up with the state government spending moremoney in the city when we'renot going to benefit, and (then) they come into the country and try and pillage us to get the money to try and pay for their mistakes," he said.

"I'm semi-retired, still farming, still got a

The Emergency Services Levy has raised the ireofGippslanders. Farmers andfirefightersmarched through Morwell last month, calling on the stategovernment to “scrap the tax”.

few cattle or so, but it just increases.

"T ax, everything has gone up, cattle's goneupabit, butin1970wewerestill getting $500 for acow, now you might get $1500, but the cost-wise from '70 to now is ridiculous."

Lieutenant of Heyfield FireBrigade, Phil Grahamaddressed the Morwell crowd from atop one of the many tankers positioned along Commercial Rd, giving voice to the manyfed up and disheartened.

"Why do we have to fund it? Why are we the onesscratching through thechange in the consoleofour farmutes trying to find adollar to give to them? It's just not fair," he said.

"Weneed to send the message, it needs to go loud and clear

"So,Jacinta Allanifyou canhearme, if you'd listen -you'rehurting us.

"You'rereally hurting us. We don't have any morefor you anymoreJacinta, so stop trying to take it offus."

With everyone present standing together against the instatement, Lt. Graham also made an impassionedmessage about how

his fellow CFAmembers and local police figures must put their ar ms around the rest of the community.

"We've all got our stories. It's all going to hurt us in many, many different ways. Just stay strong, stay respectful," he said.

"I see all of the CFApeople herealong with me, remember our communities.

"Weare leaders in our communities -be leaders- Iimploreyou all, everyonethat wears yellow or ablue uniform, you area leader in your community.

"You need to have the ability for other members of thecommunitytolean on yourshoulder,you needto lead through strength.

"It'snow morethan ever,there's no fires burning in the bush, but it's now morethan ever that we need to support our communities.Not just withahoseand with abranch and abig redtruck, but we need to be there side-by-side withthe other members of our community to support them, because they'regoing to struggle and suffer too."

Continued -Page20

Photo: Blake Metcalf-Holt

Livestock methanerole uncovered

Philip HOPKINS

CLAIMS that methane from livestock is worsening global warming arewrong, and cutting emissions from methane, which is apotent greenhouse gas, can even help lower warming,according to aUS-German expert.

Professor Frank Mitloehner,the head of an agricultural research centreat the University of California, Davis, said methane, produced by livestock, converted back to carbon dioxide when belched by cattle into the atmospherewithin adecade and was part of the carbon cycle.

He indicated thatthe legitimacy and importance of livestock that producenutrient food are a comparative advantage for Australia that can make the country abig supplieroffood to the growing populations in Asia.

Dr Mitloehner,who is head ofthe academic group, the Clear CenteratUCDavis, was the keynote speaker last month at a symposium,‘Cattle and Climate’, organised by Cattle Australia at MarcusOldham College in Geelong. He is an air quality specialistwho quantifies the impact of pollutants on the atmosphere.

Dr Mitloehnersaidhis interest in climateissueswas sparkedby areport in 2006 from the United Nationals Food; Agricultural Organisation that claimed the livestock sector was responsiblefor 18 per cent of greenhouse emissions, higher than transport.

He believed the figurewas closerto 10 per cent, and published ascientific paper showingthat the Food andAgriculture Organization (FAO) had calculated global livestock’s impact based on alife-cycle analysis,but had not done the same for transport. The study appeared in the media and “afew minuteslatermylife became aliving hell”.

The FAOsubsequently admitted their analysis was flawed; it was revised down to 14.4 per cent and last year,the new estimate 11 per cent –“close to 10 per cent we believed to be true”. Dr Mitloehner becameapartner with FAOand developed guidelinesfor the impact of livestock on the environment.

When greenhouse gases arecomparedin climate literature, the impact over 100 years (GWP100) assessed the different gases in terms of potency. CO2 was the base, with methane 28 and nitrous oxides 265.

“You could think methane is 28 times morepowerful than CO2, end of story! That’s how it is portrayed in much of what we read,” Dr Mitloehner said.

Multiply by 28 then you know how acow’s CO2 impact compared with fossil fuels. “That is flawed,” he said.

Methane’s behaviour in how it warms the planet was different; therewereboth sources of methane and also sinks (forests, soil, wetlands).

“Methane is produced but almost the

same amount is destroyed. Sinks arenever mentioned,”hesaid, but wereimportant in understanding methane’s impact.

What causes destruction of methane in the atmosphere?

“It takes adecade for the methane molecule to meet another methane molecule in theatmosphere- hydroxyl radical. This hydroxyl radical destroys the methane; it takes about adecade to happen and that methane is gone,” Dr Mitloehner said.

“That makes methanea short-lived climate issue –destroyed after ashort period of time. While that gas is in the air,it’s a potent gas we need to eradicate -insharp contrast to CO2, and nitrous oxide, which arelong-livedclimate pollutants and will stay in the atmospherefor pretty much forever -wethink it’s about 1000 years.”

Burning morefossil fuels adds new CO2 to the atmosphereand extra warming to the planet.

“That is why CO2 is so problematic.Many say the same happens with methane. That’s wherethe mistake lies. CO2 is astock gas; it addsto existingstock,is cumulative Methane is not cumulative, it’s produced and destroyed. This is ahugely important difference. This makes methane not astock gas but aflow gas,” he said.

Dr Mitloehner said adairy or beef farmer whohad 100 cows in 1980 and 100 cows today, produce aconstant amount of methane.

“The amount of methane produced and destroyed is roughly in balance. That is what makes methane aflow gas. If you increase methane over time, you add alot of additional warming; we don’t want that. I’m not saying methane does not matter –the opposite is true. Methane-wedonot want to increase it over time,” he said.

“If we go astep further and we reduce methane, then we can actually reduce warming. That’s really important. That means, if our farmers learnhow to reduce that gas, then we can suck that gap out of the atmosphereand reduce warming. The same does not happen with CO2.

“If we learnhow to reduce methane, then we can replenish less of that gas in the atmospherethat is naturally destroyed. It will go down and with it, warming will go down. This was not understood until five years ago by the vast majority of scientists.

InternationalPanel Climate Change reports all understandthat methane isashorttermpollutant,low-hangingfruit for climate mitigation.”

Dr Mitloehner said in the agriculturalsector,people weresceptical because methane is regarded as aleading greenhouse gas.

“Let’s just get rid of animal agricultureand change what we eat It’s not that simple, that’swhy so manyfarmersare climate deniers these days. They feel so much ‘under the gun’, they say, ‘Leave us alone, we don’t believethisanymore’. Thatisa negative development. Farmers need to

understand you have acontribution and they need to understandwhat that is. They can be part of the solution if they work on it,” he said.

Wheredoes that carbon come from and wheredoes it go to? Dr Mitloehner said animals eat grass and plants, the product of photosynthesis.

“Theysuckit up. What do they make of it? Theyproduce carbohydrate- cellulose, or starch. Cattle, goats, sheep eat carbohydrates. When they do, some of the gut microbes in the rumen convert that cellulose carbon into methane. That’s the price we have to pay for having animals that can digest cellulose and produce methane,” he said.

“That methane is belched out and more methane comes from the animal manure. This carbon in the formofmethane –isit new to the atmosphere, or has it been in the atmospherebefore? It has been in the atmospherebefore-but in adifferent form, in the formofCO2. It is not new carbon in the atmosphere, the methane has been in the atmospherebeforeinthe formofCO2. Now it is in the formofmethane. That is the biogenic carbon cycle: “the carbon goes around and around and around. Thereis no net addition to the cycle.”

Dr Mitloehner said in the biogenic cycle, carbon was taken into the soil -aprocess called soil carbon sequestration.

“It takes about athirdofthe carbon and locks it intoour soil. It remains in soil unless we disturb it, through ploughingor till –the carbon comes back out. We do not know accurately how much sequestration is happening in Australia.Itisnot quantified in the US and it should be,” he said.

“I don’t know the answer –I’m not asoil scientist. How important soil is for carbon sequestration is an important question. Thereare drastic different views on what thoserates will be. How muchdepends on soil types and specific weather conditions. Some people exaggerate how mulch sequestration can do, but Ihaven’t seen the data. The research takes forever,decades.”

Dr Mitloehnersaidruminant animals have aspecial place.

“Only ruminant animalshave the capacity to eat it (plants) and make animal-sourced foods. What they eat is cellulose in grasses -the world’s most abundant biomass,” he said.

Aherdof10,000 that remained 10,000 would produce constant warmingand would comply with the Paris climate accord as it did not cause additional warming.

“A constant source of methane does not add additional warming to our planet,” he said.

To reduce methane through afeedlot, for example, leads to thereduction of warming.

“If we learnhow to reduce this gas, then we areaplayer that helps to reduce warming. Methane is very important, but we do notwant to increase it over time. Hold it stable or find away to reduce that.”

Dr Mitloehner said internationally, there

was no shift away from animal-based food. Meat and eggs consumption was increasing,particularly indevelopingcountries lifting themselves out of poverty.

“With extra income, people buy milk, eggs, to put nutrientintheir families’mouths. Who areweto tellthem ‘Don’t do that’? Eighty per cent of livestock emissions occur in developing countries,” he said.

The US has nine million dairy cows, India 300 million.

“Projections say they will add another 200 milliontoadd to theherdtosatisfy consumer needs.Therewill be ahuge increase of methane and other environmental issues,” he said.

Dr Mitloehner said the human population would triple by 2050.

“The challenge is immense,” he said.

Two-thirdsofthe world havemarginal land that could not be used apart from ruminant animals.

“The human population will have tripled in my lifetime but natural resources will not have tripled,” he said.

What does that mean to satisfy the needs of atripling population?

“It means that unless we do not want to tear into forests or other protected nature, we have to use the land in use now for agriculturein the most efficient way we know,” he said.

Anti-livestock activists were urgingthe world not to eat animal food –‘Let’s get rid of the two thirds of food produced, all the marginal land’.

“Wecan’t grow crops (on marginal land), we only grow ruminant-derived food production. How can people say, ‘Let’s get rid of that land use?’ That would be totally irresponsibleinmyopinion,”DrMitloehner said.

“Togrowcrops in arable land, you need nutrients. Half of theworld’s nutrientsare provided by fertiliser -half aresynthetic, energy rich in production, the other half comes from organic fertiliser,manures. A world without cows would have aprofound impact on sustainability and the nutrient source of our food system,” he said.

Dr Mitloehner said Australia has ahuge amount of marginal land with the massive market of Asia “on your doorstep”.

“If we not do it (produce livestock-sourced food) –someone else would, so emissions would go somewhereelse. That would be irresponsible. Youhave huge markets on your doorstep who don’thave the resources Youexport so much because you don’t have enough people,” he said.

“The world is still eating meat.”

MorefromDrMitloehner: Pages -12, 14

Gippsland Line upgrade: trainsevery40minutes

Stefan BRADLEY

THE Gippland Line Upgrade is set to finally be completed this year after anumber of delays and cost blow-outs, but local commuters will need to put up with nearly two months of coach replacement services to accommodate arush of construction for the new signaling system.

The state government has included $52 millionin the 2025-26 Victorian State Budget to deliver train services every40 minutes along the Traralgon line, plus additional peak services for the Seymour line and longer trains on moreweekend services on the Bendigo line.

Due to Gippsland Line Upgrade works –along with Victoria’sBig Build works impacting the metropolitan section of the network –coaches will replace trains on the Traralgon and Bairnsdale lines for part or allofthe journey between Saturday, June 14, and Wednesday, August 13.

The construction blitz will complete and commission the line’s new signalling

system, so trains can run more often and morereliably.

To complete the new signalling system, crews will carry out various works along the line including installing cabling and trackside signalling equipment between Drouin and Traralgon.

Works willalso include testing of new infrastructurealong the 70-kilometre stretchofrail lineand enable trains to safelyoperatenext tothe new platforms at Morwell and Traralgon stations.

Regional spokesperson for the Public Transport Users Association (PTUA), Paul Westcott said the improvements flagged for services on the Gippsland lineare positive

“Servicefrequency is the basicdeterminant of whether apublic transport service is usable or not,” Mr Westcott told Gippsland Far mer

Mr Westcott said it was unfortunate that the infrastructurework that makes the improvements possible is running behind schedule and that “an extended period of bustitutions (coach replacements) beyond

Saputo confirms milk price

SAPUTO Dairy Australia (SDA) advised its suppliers earlierthis month of astep up in minimum milk price of $0.15 per kgMS for the 2024/25 season.

This step up increases the weighted average farmgate milk price to $8.30 -$8.45 per kgMS for exclusive supply in the Southern milk regions (being Gippsland, South-West Victoria and SouthAustralia, Norther n region and Tasmania).

Thispaymentwill be made with April proceedsduringMay andautomatically applied to all qualifying milk supplied under SDA’s published exclusivemilk supply agreements from July 1, 2024.

Saputo Dir ector of Milk Supplyand Planning, Kate Ryan saidthe company remained committed to paying acompetitive milk price.

“During the current season, we’ve seen continued stabilisationofcommodity prices for the start of calendar year," she said. "Meanwhile, domestic market challenges persist as cost-of-living pressures impact the local trading environment. Consumers remain cost sensitive and value focused.

“As we look to the 2025/26 season ahead, the outlook for domesticand global demand remains uncertain and volatile,with geopolitical tensions and inflationary pressures still impacting purchasing activity.”

Updatedmilksupplyagreements will be published on SDA’s website at: www. saputodairyaustralia.com.au/milk-supply

The milk price squoted abo ve ar ea weightedaverage across SDA’s supply base.

Milk prices achieved at individual farm level will vary and final milk prices will be influenced by avariety of factors on farm.

 ELSEWHERE, BEGA Cheese will close it’s cheese processing and packaging operations in norther n Victoria, but will maintain it’s other five manufacturing facilities, including Morwell.

Follo wing an extensive review, Bega Cheese announcedthe consolidation of its Strathmerton operationsinto its existing site in Bega, New South Wales. Aphased closure of theStrathmerton site is expected to be complete by mid-2026.

Bega Group Chief Executive, Pete Findlay said as the business maintained its focus on delivering productivity improvement and growth, it continued "to look at opportunities to simplify our operational footprint and invest for the futureensuringwemaintain globally competitiveinfrastructure".

Bega Group is working closelywiththe about 300 employees at Strathmerton whose roles areimpacted by the change, and wherepossible, will offer re-deployment.

The company will continue to have a str ong pr esence in Victoria, retaining five manufacturing facilities in the state, at Morwell, Tatura, Chelsea, Koroit and Port Melbour ne and empl oying mor e than 1700 Victorians.

Traralgon, stretching over two months, will precede the changes”.

“Forty-minute frequencies for trains from Traralgon will be avery positive step. It's certainly likely that passengers will drive to Traralgon from further afield to take advantage of the increased frequency there.

After the budget was delivered in May last year,Member for Gippsland South,Danny O’Brien,saidGippslandershad suffered long enough from construction-related delays and werewondering if therewould ever be any benefits from this project.

“This is yet another blow for Gippsland commuters who aresick of delays and underper for mance of the Gippsland V/ Line service,” he said.

The 2024/25budget papers indicated an additional $31 million has been added to the $562 million cost of the GippslandLine Upgrade. The lack of a completion date at the time was justified by the state government due to “signalling design work and co-ordination with the pipeline of projects underway across the program”.

Pest &WeedControl

Ag group provides helping hand

Philip HOPKINS

IT was after the drought about adecade ago that the penny finally dropped for farmers in East and Central Gippsland.

The toughtimeshad broughtpeople together and looking forward, the question on many farmers’ mind was ‘How to boost farmproduction in the good times better to cope with the tough times?’

Therewas capacity amongfarmers in East and Central Gippsland to assess how farm systems grow, so the upshot was ameeting of about 100 farmers in Sale.

Thu si n2 01 8/ 19 ,t he G ipp sl an d AgriculturalGroup was formed, with the new boardblessed with key personnel having alot of businessand far macumen, according to the group’s general manager, Jen Smith.

State and local grants, including one from the then Premier,Daniel Andrews, and support from Wellington and East Gippsland Shires, got the ball rolling.

“Weworked with them on preparedness, we now work together on things tested and tried.Farmers engaging with Gippsland Ag can expect to learnhow to manage variable seasonal conditions,their livestock, soil and crops. We areproduction focussed –we believe production facilitateschoiceand profit,” Jen told Gippsland Far mer GAgG now hasmorethan 400 members, who pay $99 ayear,and theyattend workshops and events to hear from the industry's best advisers.

“If farmers get value, they will participate,” said Jen.

“Weare herenot to advocate but to educate. We have many state and federal grants for projects with afocus on farmbusiness resilience, innovation,productivity and on adaptation to climate.

"Eighty per cent of members arefromEast Gippsland and Wellington Shires with the remainder from South and West Gippsland. We arevolunteer lead by farmers with three on the boardfromeach of the two main shires."

Jen, originally from Melbourne, lived in Heyfield, went to school in Maffra and then married afarmer 20 years ago. She runs Angus cattle at Tambo Crossing and prime lambs at Bengworden, having studied social science and then environmental science at universitybeforecompletinganMBA at Fed Uni in Gippsland and is now is the general manger

The GAgG team has 2.5 full-time employees; eight different professional providers have expertise onvarioussubjectssuch as crops, animal health pastures and soil management.

“All staf fatthe group arecommitted to far ming. Projects aresteered by subgroups, collections of people come andgo abit, for example,such as planning and putting on the Red Meat Conference,” Jen explained.

Attendance was massiveatthis year’s

Red Meat Conference in Bairnsdale, with sophisticated presentations on avariety of topics. GAgG has also hosted several projects with Melbourne University,and one withFederation University on top soils -demonstration work, not research.

GAgG has five pillars -productive pastures, grains and fodder,soils, livestock and healthy farming communities –they operatethe Gippsland Research Farm, 114 of hectares outside Bairnsdale, nexttothe

as newseedvarieties, soil management techniques and fertiliser regimes.

Aforum is held every couple of years on key questions and challenges limitingfarm production potential in the region.

“This givesuspriorities,the team can work to develop projects and seek funding for demonstrationand education toward unlocking the production potential in their farming system,” Jen said.

Abreakthr ough was receiving fund-

airport. This farmhosts amyriad of projects for industry, communitygroups andfarmers… testing and trialling many things such

ing after Black Summer for the group‘s headquarters, the Gippsland Agricultural Centre,which was built with lots of help

fromvarious volunteers.

“From the beginning we always envisaged aprofessional learning and meeting place for far mersand for industry and community to come together,Now, we have it,” said Jen.

GAgG aims to be as inclusive as possible, irrespective of whether afarmhas five or 500 cows.

“If they want to improvesustainability and profitability on-farm, we welcome you to join us,” said Jen.

Gippsland, with its dominant dairy, beef and sheep sectors, has asurprising number of grain growers, who specialise in wheat, barley and canola.

"Werun annual trails for this as well as fibrebeans and other crops," said Jen.

“It’s not recorded how much grain is grown in Gippsland. Previously Gippsland was great forgrain growing regions in thestate. Grains arenow sold direct to dairy farmers, but some canola goes to Melbour ne and Geelong. Wheat and barley aremainly used for stock feed.”

GAgG has forged apartnershipwith Food &FireGippsland, which works with stakeholders and industry to develop Gippsland’s $7 billion agriculturesector

GAgG’s alsodelivers apodcast each Friday, “Digging Deeper-AgChats with AI” via its website.

These various tools to help the industry arebecoming increasingly important. Recently GAgGdelivered theBusiness of Far ming Seriesof talks rightacross Gippsland.

“Prices received are okay,but farmers can't keep up with the astronomical cost of production. We needtounderstand markets, build financial literacy and understand what drives bank lending,” Jen said.

Costs including labour,animal health consumables, fertiliser,fuel and insurance allrequired to produce redmeat haverisen 40-60 per cent over the last 10 years and prices received for these commodities have only seen a2-5 per cent increase.

“Wecan and are being moreefficientand productive, but it’s not enough to closethe gap,” she said.

GAgG will hold asoilsymposium on June 11, which will focus soil management especially on howtoimprove thewaterand nutrient holding capacity of that 10-15cm of topsoil.

“HereatGAgG we focus on what we do daily on-farm and what we cancontrol.We aregreat users of land and water in this region,” Jen said.

“If ourfood producerswant to be as ef ficient as they canbe, they haveto accommodate what is best practice. If we focus on being as efficient as we can be, we should be less affected by climate and marketvariability,Weare volunteer led, farmer driven set an agenda based on what is relevant and pressing right now.”

Gippsland Agricultural Group General Manager,Jen Smith.

Photos: Philip Hopkins

The group holds demonstrations and tutorials at theGippsland Research Farm just outside Bairnsdale.

Ghost camping debacle over

VICTORIA'S free camping pr ogram in national parks, marred by ghost bookings and rubbish dumping, has been ended by the state government.

In the budget, the government indicated ahalf-price camping structurewould be implemented at ParksVictoria's 131paid, government-run campgrounds from July to June2027. Thefreecamping ideawas introduced last October 2024, but was marred by issues such as people not showing upat campsitesafter fully booking online.

Member for EasternVictoria andShadow Minister for Public Land Management, Melina Bath, said the disastrous program had backfired.

"Labor spruiked that the program would ease cost-of-living pr essures, but the brutal reality was the complete opposite. The poorly-designed program financially cruelled regional small businessesand left families disappointed by alack of camping spots," she said.

"Labor’s free campingpolicyresulted in peopledeliberately booking multiple camping sites and then failing to show up, knowingthereare no consequences. It led to low occupancy rates in popular national park campgrounds that would normally be fully booked. Campsites sat empty during regional Victoria’s peaktourist season, leading to the phrase ‘ghost camping’ being penned."

Ms Bath saidpractical solutions to fix the multiple problems put forwardbythe Liberals and Nationals weredismissed by

the Allan Labor government. Free camping in nationalparks washeavily criticised by small business, peak tourist bodies, campers, and regional communities.

"Labor’s failed free camping in national parks program has quietly been scrapped and insteadr eplaced with ‘half price’ camping fees inthe statebudget.From inception, Labor’s policy was systematically flawed and did enormous damaged to small businesses and the regional economy that relies on the peak tourism season for survival," she said.

The ABC reported that the chief executive of Caravan and Residential Parks Victoria, Scott Parker, said free camping was "a poorly consideredinitiative" that disadvantaged private caravan park owners.

"Ghost camping was an outcome that was foreseen and clearly communicated by the association to the government during the policy'simplementation. It was contrary to the principles of the government's own competitive neutrality policy," he said.

Mr Parker said better options weresuggested to the government at the outset.

"Providing campers in private caravan parks with avoucher equivalenttothe discounts offered at unregulated government campgrounds would have delivered more choice for Victorians, stronger support for small business operators, grown regional tourismand avoided the inefficiencies of apoorly managedfreebookingsystem," he said.

Orbost corn poppedacross globe

Philip HOPKINS

IN manyEuropeancountries right now -Spain,France, Hungary and Polandfar mers arejust putting the finishing toucheson planting their sweet cor n.

Similar plantingsoccur in other parts of the world-fromSouthAfricatoChile, Uruguay and New Zealand -atadifferent time of the year

They have one key thing in common: they source their sweet cornseeds from Snowy River Seeds in Orbost.

The town in East Gippsland is apowerhouse in breedingsweet corn,which it has been doing since the mid-1990s.

Wha t' sm or e, th es we et c or nt ha t Australians buy every day -frozen, canned or fresh -fromshops in Australia has the same ultimate source; Snowy River Seeds supplies the seeds, and local farmers grow the product.

Snowy River Seeds' plant breeder,Damien Courtier,who joined the company in 1998, estimates that Snowy River has about 95 per cent of the processed market(frozen and tinned) in Australia and 40-45 per cent of the fresh market.

"Our marketshareisgrowing in the fresh market," he told Gippsland Far mer There aremany varieties -yellow, white, 'yellowish' -fromold standardsweet cornthrough to acream cornproduct.

"Wealsodopopcorn seedinAustralia, New Zealand and South Africa," he said.

SnowyRiver Seeds began as agrowerowned operative in the 1970s, dealing in varieties suchasfresh beans,later transitingtosweet corn seedproduction and bean seed.

In the 1990s,John Auer, abusiness development expertwho joinedin 1985, tur ned Snowy River into an exporter of

seeds. He became chief executive in 1995, and changed from importing hybrids to breeding sweet cornhimself in Orbost. The breedingprogram has been going since the 1990s.

In 1998, Damien Courtier came on board as plant breeder.Agraduate in agricultural science from the University of Sydney, he worked as an assistant cotton breeder at Goondiwindi in Queensland beforejoining SRS, whose general manager is Leo Schoots, based in Noojee.Leo is also responsible for the management of the global distribution networkaswellasmanaging the seed production in Australia, but also in NZ, France and Hungary.

Damiensaidnew hybrid sweetcor n varietieswerecreated by developing two different sets of parents, which werethen cross-bred to forma new hybrid -ideal for accessing the hybrid vigour madeavailable from sourcing diverse genetic backgrounds. Different seeds have different qualities.

"Tocross-breed for example, it may be drought-resistant andhigh quality,with another variety that may be rust-resistant, creating agood quality hybrid with drought resistance," Damien said.

This is 'nor mal' cross-breeding, not a genetically modified organism.

The bulk of the breeding is 99 per cent field-based, mainly on six-hectares in Orbost, wherethe company employs two full-time techniciansand five-to-eight casua lw or kers thr ough the seas on.

The technicians, Kath Bennett and Kia Fitzgerald,are the dedicated members of the breeding team. Kath has been with the company since 1990; Kia has been full-time with SRS for abit over 12 months.

"A new variety takes about 10 years to develop -t o develop ap ar ent and

commercial variety; 98 per cent will amount to nothing. It's agame of patience. Nothing happens in ahurry. Alot we do revolves around failure," said Damien.

"Wehave about 20 successful hybrids around the world. Once you have success with avariety, they tend to have longevity. The Galaxy variety, developed in the early 2000s, had its first sales later in the decade, and it's still amainstay of the production business.

"Weexport alot of seed. In New Zealand we have 60 per cent of the market, in Hungary 35 per cent. Key competitorsare the big players -Magenta and Bayer.The sweet cornmarket in Australia is relatively small, so the export market is essential to justify abreeding program."

In total, Snowy River produces 40 tonnes of seed ayear

"Processing sweet cornisa bit like awidget in afactory -the user wants aconsistent product every year," Damien said.

Snowy Rivermergedinthe 2000s with Hyland Seeds in Queensland; the merger brought sorghum,sunflowers, pop cor n and maize in the mix. However,itdid not workout duetothe financial crisis,and Crookham and Co, along-termsweet corn company from Caldwell in Idaho that was founded in 1911, took over,and Snowy River Seeds became aUS-owned company.

With Crookham at its back, Snowy River Seeds developed from there. With hybrid sweet cor nasthe product, Snowy can licence from different genetic suppliers.

Field breeding means just that -spending along time in the field. Damiensaid 20 acres was big enough for the nursery, as hiring moreworkers would push up costs.

"I spend alot of time walking through the nursery," he said.

Snowy River also has nurseries in north Queensland -atWalkamin in the Atherton Tablelands and Bowen. Orbost is still home base. Kia is responsiblefor the management of these nurseries, which requires abig commitment from hereasitmeans multiple weeks away from home.

Alocal company, Gippsland Seed Services at Newmerella, looks after SRS Australian seed production and logistics.

"Wenolongerproduce or seed ourselves," Damien said.

He said Orbostwas an ideal growing ground.

"Thereare the key sweet cor ndiseases her ethat ar eessential for developing superior agronomic varieties," he said.

"The key to asuccessful plant breeder is know the competition and environment wherethe cornisgrown. Youneed to plant varieties in dif ferent locationsand visit them. We have a trial system to test varieties in Australia, NZ, US, France, Hungary and Chile.Weplan sweetcor ntrials 12 months in year."

That means alot of travel, at least five or six times a year, particularly to Idaho, where Damien has atightrelationship withCrookham's research manager with whom he talks regularly. He's just back from Florida and Chile; the strenuous trip includes long legs, such as the 17.5-hour direct flight from Dallas to Australia -leave Florida Sundaynight,plane to Dallas in the morning, arrive in Melbourne at 5pm, then drive the 350 kilometres to Orbost.

But it's worth the effort.

"It's rewarding to see people growing our produce around the world and making money," said Damien. He added: "I am very lucky to have asupportive wife and family that allows this to be achieved."

Damien Courtien, plant breeder at Snowy River Seeds.

Photos: Contributed Snowy River Seeds technician, Kath Bennettpreparing seed for planting.

National dataset needed

CATT LE Aus tral ia has ur ged fed era l environmental and agriculture policy to recognise thatthe Australiancattle industry is partofclimate and environmental solutions.

Cattle Australia (CA), the national peak body for the grass-fed beef industry, is calling for the reinstatement of the Beef HerdMethod for measuring carbon sequestration and tradingcarbon credits,and to guaranteethatthe biogenicmethane cyclewill be appropriately accounted for innational carbon accounting systems.

CA’s chief executive, Dr ChrisParker saidCA’slandmanagementommitment strategy should be implemented in full to ensurethe beef supply chain has the tools it needstomeasureand manage biodiversity and demonstrate to markets around the worldthe benefits of the co-existence of beef production and biodiversity outcomes.

“Politicians and activists need to stop blaming burping cattle and instead realise that the beef industry is part of the solution for our environment and our changing climate,” Dr Parker said.

“Australian cattle producers manage 50 per cent of Australia’s land mass and as aresult,the beef industry offers amassive opportunity to sequester Australia’s carbon emissions and improve our natural capital, but policy settings need to change to provide producerswith both the tools andeconomic incentives to achieve this.”

Dr Parker said cattle producers take their responsibility to carefor the environment incredibly seriously.

“Unfortunately, not everyone understands that theirhardwork in managingsoils, pastures and trees, also contributes to sequestering carbon from the atmosphere and improving biodiversity,” he said.

“Current policysettings overlookthe entirely naturalprocess inwhich methane emittedbycattle is reabsorbedas CO2 by pastures and soils as part of the

photosynthesis process.The scientific termisthe biogenic methane cycle, and it’s absolutely essential that this be appropriately accounted for in national carbon accounting systems.”

Dr Parker said if cattle weren’t grazing, thatsamepasture woulddie of fand emit methane and carbondioxide as it decomposes.

“By including cattle in the ecosystem, we’reconverting that grass into beef protein while managing our natural environment for pests and weeds, improving soilfertility and all while keeping hundreds of thousandsof Australians employedand providing food securitytomillions of people around the world.”

The federal government urgently needed to invest in an accurate and up-to-date national dataset, based on satellite mapping of agricultural land use, to demonstrate to governments and consumers around the world the positive impacts of graziers in increasing forestry cover across Australia, he said.

Cattle Australia Chief Executive, Dr Chris Parker Photo: Contributed

Teacher by day, skydiverbyflight, Kallan comes down with the gold

GIPPSLAND primary school teacher and skydiver,Kallan Fitzclarence, achieved great success at the Australian &New Zealand National Canopy Piloting Championships in Sydney.

Mr Fitzclarence clinched the overall goldmedal inthe intermediatecategory, showcasing exceptional skill across three disciplines:speed, accuracy and distance.

the ground before planning out toskim over water at high speeds.

Having previously won anational championship in adifferent format of skydiving (Sports Accuracy) last year,MrFitzclarence took on the challenge of “swooping”, where competitors dive their parachutes towards

He demonstrated precisionand agility as he navigated his parachutethrough the challenging course, outperforming competitors from across the country.

“The competition was really fun and everyone is so supportive and encouraging… it was tightbetween Ronnie (SouthAustralian competitor) and Ibut we’reall friends and arehappytosee eachother do well,”Mr Fitzclarence said.

Looking ahead, Mr Fitzclarence has set his sights on even greater heights in thesport. His futureambitions include downsizingto asmaller and faster parachute, which will allow him to compete in the open category against some of the world’s best canopy pilots.

“I’ve got afew goals Istill need to tick off beforeprogressing to asmaller chute but I’m excited for the challenge,” he said.

“It’s probably awhile away but I’d love to represent the country one day.”

Gippsland primary school teacher, Kallan Fitzclarence is also a thrill seeker Photo: Contributed

Prof urges carrot, not stick approach

Philip HOPKINS

CALIFORNIA is showing that giving financial incentivestofarmers is the best way for the agriculture sector to reduce greenhouse

gas emissions, according to Professor Frank Mitloehner

Professor Mitloehner,the head of an agricultural research centreatthe University

Election results finally in

Liam DURKIN

EVERYvote really did count for Monash, as the race to determine the electorate's next federal member was not of ficially decided until almost two weeks after election day.

The AustralianElectoral Commission finallyput votersand candidates out of their misery by calling victory for Mary Aldred and the Liberal party.

Ms Aldred led by morethan 8000 votes when the AEC announced her victory when morethan 90 per cent of votes had been counted.

In what was alwayspredicted to be apreference election, the margin was enough to tip Ms Aldred to 54.1 per cent, ahead of Labor's Tully Fletcher (45.9).

While preferences, as expected, played a vital role in the outcome, therewas little reason to think the count would go into asecond week.

Ms Aldred's hadbeen the frontrunner for most of the count, only for preference distributions to delay the seemingly inevitable.

The AEC was forced into arecount, as an outsidevictory for Labor's Tully Fletcher and Independent Deb Leonard remained alive chance.

Mr Fletcher took the admirable step of conceding defeat two days beforethe AEC officially declared the result.

The result means Monash returns as

atraditional Liberal seat. Former party member Russe ll Br oadb ent served Monash as an independent following a preselection loss to Ms Aldred in 2023.

Mr Broadbent released a brief video message after it became apparent his time was up.

Ms Aldred's congregation declared her victory on election night (May 3), where she was presumptivelyintroduced as the "next Member for Monash"bylongserving Liberal and former state Member for Narracan, GaryBlackwood.

Ms Aldred took in the applause of wellwishes at the Warragul Country Club, which included her mother and two brothers.

"Feeling tremendously privilegedand humbledbythe str ong indication of support," she said speaking to Gippsland Far mer on election night.

THER E was littl e s urp ris e in the neighbouring Gippsland electorate, with Nationals incumbent Darren Chester retaining his seat.

Gippsland is one of the safest Nationals seatsinthe country

The Coalition faced some uncertainty last month, after The Nationals walked away from the Liberals.

Plans to reconcile wereinthe works, although afor mal agreement was not known at time of press.

Vale Peter Nixon -Page 38

of California Davis, said using the ‘carrot’ and not the ‘stick’ approach was the best way to incentivise farmers.

Dr Mitloehner said aCalifornia test study, which mandates a40per cent reduction of methane by 2030, constituted the world’s most aggressive greenhouse gas law.

“It is unprecedented in the world,” he told the CattleAustralia Cattleand Climate conference.

“Our farmers went wild but learnt that legislaturedid not use the stick approach –rules, regulation and taxes –but the carrotapproach –tofinanciallyincentivise farmers to reduce emissions. It will help them financially.”

This voluntary approach should be studied in Australia, wherethe government was considering policies for farmers to reduce emissions, he said.

Dr Mitloehner said California’slarge dairy herdcontributed about 40 per cent of the state’s methane emissions, with landfill also acontributor.A UC Davis report estimated how the state could reach the target.

If cows weremoreproductive, arelatively small shrinkage of the herdwould still produce constant milk with 0.5 per cent fewer cows.

“The shrinkagecauses ashrinkage of emissions,” he said.

Also, taking biogastrapped from manure and delivering it to utility companies created asource of energy.

“Methaneispureenergy.Wedon’t just wanttolose methane,” hesaid. If the methane could be trapped and used, “we should”. The heat could be used to power homes and vehicles, including heavy duty trucks.

“Trap methane andput it in trucks –you reduce emissionsonfarmand in transport.”

Dr Mitloehner estimated these various measures would reduce methane by more

than 40 percent, with incentivised carbon credits if farmers reduce emissions.

“Carbon credits pay for alot of the emission reductions,” he said.

Manuremanagement and feed additives to cut methane could become aheritable trait.

“Mothers passonthe trait to new animals,” he said. This approach could breed non-methane animals, as New Zealand was doing with its sheep herd.

Dr Mitloehner saidCalifornia puts public dollars into sectors reducing methane.

“Dairy gets two per cent of public funds, which leads to a30per cent reduction of methane in the state,” he said.

“Reducing methane by that much, 30-40 per cent, does not cause additional warming andcan undosome ofthe historical pollution.”

Dr Mitloehner saiddairy in California had reduced millions of emission reductions without farmers protesting.

“That is happening by working with, not against thefarmers.That should not be rocket science,” he said.

Using taxes to force farmers to do things created anegativity that caused farmers to oppose any measures.

“Wedonot wantfar merstostick their head in sand and become deniers. Help them reduce emissions, find away to finance that. This is important.”

Dr Mitloehnersaid taxing methane in NZ didn’t work,while Irelandproposed reducing its herdby200,000, but emissions would occur elsewhere.

“Emissions do not reduce, they just move from one place to another,” he said.

“Don’t stick your head in the sand on this topic –it will not go away. Turnaliability into an asset. Dairy farmers in California say, ‘This topic does not scareme today’. It’s an opportunity. The carrot works.”

Ag Prof backs nuclear technology

Philip HOPKINS

NUCLE AR power is one of the most important technologies to minimisecarbon dioxide emissions from humanactivity, according to aUS-German agriculture expert, Professor Frank Mitloehner

Dr Mitloehner,the head of an agricultural research centreatthe University of California, Davis, emphasised to theCattle Australia Cattle and Climateconference that energy “is not my expertise”, but personally he backed nuclear power When returning to his country of birth, Germany, “I see windmills everywhere”.

“After awhile, thousands everywhere–it’s kind of disheartening. All the landscapes aregone, dominatedvisually by these enormous windmills,” he said.

Dr Mitloehnersaid on aflight, he sat next to acivil engineer who deals with the decommissioning of windturbines.He asked the engineer what they do with the enormous wind turbines.

“He said, ‘Webury them’. Isaid ‘What?!’ We dig abig hole and throw acouple of hundred of those into that hole. What? We’renot recycling those things? No, you can’t recycle them, they have all kinds of different compoundsthatare put together into amixtureand you can’trecycleit,”Dr Miloehner said.

“I have areal beef with that. One day in the futuresomebody will open abig hole, and say, ‘These people back in the 2000s, look what they did’. So, Idothink we need to use nuclearresponsibly so we don’t have accidents, that would be horrendous. But thereisnow technology to produce those things in asafe manner.”

One questioner askedabout an article in theNew York Times thatcriticised Dr Mitloehner for beingcriticalofother

scientists, and the fact that his work with agriculturereceived industry funding.

“How to get past the dilution of what you do because you areindustry funded. How is science not science if it’s funded by one side or the other?”

Dr Mitloehner said 95 per cent of his re sea rc hf oc us se do nh ow to re duc e greenhouse gases.

“To do that, you have to have people in agricultureagreeingtodo that. As an ag scientist, Iwork with the ag sector.The New York Times thought that was worth a big page. It was a hit piece against a professor who works to reduce emissions,” he said.

“It was disheartening to me –‘Mitloehner is not concerned with climate change or thatmethaneisnot important,far mers should forget about methane’. That’s the opposite of what Isay.

“Anyone concerned about climate change should be happy that there are people in this sector to get the sector to come along, that’s what Iamdoing. Everybody who works inagriculture researchgetstheir funding from ag enterprises. To study how to reduce emissions with feed additives,you work with a feed additive company. That doesn t mean they are telling you what to find, they give you the money.

“Two-thirds of my funding comesfrom public sources and one thirdfromindustry The only scandal around that is that not morecomes from industry.

“That is aproblem.

“Many consumers say,‘Why doesthe taxpayer have to fund that, why does not industry pay?’,” he said.

Dr Mitloehner said they never criticised his science or himself.

“The accusation is, ‘He’sclose to industry, they trust him, theremust be something wrong with him’.

If that’s the extent of the criticism, it doesn’t worry me,” he said.

Professor Frank Mitloehner

Photo: Contributed

Parks petition makes pointclear

By PHILIP HOPKINS

THREE petitionssignedby morethan 66,000 Victorians opposing more national parks in Gippslandhave been tabledinthe state's Legislative Council.

The Nati ona ls Memb er for East er n Victoria, Melina Bath, tabled the first petition of 40,208 signatures.

The Liberal Member for NorthernVictoria, Wendy Lovell, said 13,969 Victorians had alsosigned apetition that was tabledby Wayne Farnham, the Memberfor Narracan.

"I have apetition that is still live that has 11,767 signatures on it at the moment. So that is over 66,000 Victorians –66,044 Victorians –who have signed petitions saying they do not want new national parks in Victoria," she said.

Ms Bath, who is the Shadow Minister for Public LandManagement, saidthe historic petition sent a clear message to the Allan gover nment: Victorians deservepublic access to public land.

"Labor must preserve the status quo, preserve the current land tenureand not create any new national parks. What we want to see, what these 40,000 Victorians want to see, is our cherished national parks and our lovedstate forestsand reserves open for public access," she said.

"Responsible for public land management, the Allan government is apoor neighbour, and we know that from our bushfires and an inept public land manager.Visit any of ournationalparks, visit any of our state forests, and you will see overgrown tracks and you will see decaying infrastructure –if it is still there. Acash-strapped government is cutting frontline boots on the ground and neglecting forests, which leads to poorer environmental outcomes."

Ms Bath said this was aperverse outcome.

"Thereare insufficient field staff, thereare

insufficient rangers and thereare aproliferation of pests and weeds –and thereis an ever -increasing threat of out-of-control bushfire," she said.

"Coupled with the loss of our experienced timbe rworkersand the bungled a nd botched transition,our regionalcommunities aremoreand moreatrisk."

Ms Bath said Parks Victoriahad had $95 million gutted from its budget and ahalving of its coreservices.

"Locking up moreofour state forests as national parksservesno-one,and restricting Victorians from our traditional pursuits, such as free and dispersed camping, dirt and trail bike riding, horseriding,hunting, four -wheel driving,prospecting and fossicking, does not guarantee any better conservation of vulnerablespecies," she said.

The country had evolved by First Nations people managing the land in the landscape.

"Forests wereselectively cool-bur ned, species werehuntedand people lived in and around theirenvironment. Today this government is finding excuses to restrict access," Ms Bath said.

"While Labor’s Great Outdoors Taskforce has announced it will not be recommending any new national parks, caveats hide the reality. The footprint in the Central Highlands was excluded from this probe.

"The great forest national park threat is live –3 50 ,00 0h ect ar es ar eu nd er consideration."

The Labor Member for EasternVictoria, TomMcIntosh, criticised the "mistruths" of the Liberals and the NationalParty campaign.

"Thereare two separate issues at hand, and the two have been conflated. Thereis the west of the state and thereisGippsland. The Nationals know the government has no intention to create national parks in

Gippsland, but they have no interest in the truth," he said.

"The Great Outdoors Taskforce is talking about how we grow regional Victoria, get better visitor experiences and moretourism and economicactivity.Inthe west, inall three new national parks you will be able to go camping, fishing, hiking, four -wheel driving, trail bike riding and mountainbike riding. In all three national parks you will be able to go horse-riding, dog walking and undertake dispersedcamping in specific areas. And in the new Wombat–Lerderderg NationalPark youwillbe able to undertake seasonal deer hunting in the areas that werepreviously state forest," he said.

"Wehave found the right balance hereto protect what needs to be protected, while keeping the land open and accessible for the activities that Victorians love. It is far from being locked up."

Mr McIntosh said the disinfor mation campaign by the Liberal and National parties was cheap.

"The futureuse of public land should be debated and discussed by the community, but it should only be done with all the facts at hand," he said.

The Gr eens Member for Souther n Metr opolitan, Katherine Copsey, said Victorians love native forests, so it was no surprisethatVictoriansoverwhelmingly want morenational parks.

"Polling by RedBridge last October found awhopping 80 per cent of Victorians want more nationalparks.That isfour in five Victorians who want moreofthese kinds of protection –anincredible level of popularity," she said.

The member for Easter nVictoria, Jef f Bour man fr om the Shoot ers Fishe rs Farmers Party, said the public response to the issue clearly indicated how Victorians outside the 'quinoa curtain' feel about the

issue surrounding public land access.

"Victoria is the envy of the nation when it comes to access for hunters. Few places in theworld enjoy the accessthat we do and want to keep," he said.

"Huntingcontributes $335 million to the Victorian economy andunderpinsover 3000 jobs. Victorian deer hunters take an estimated 140,000 deer ayear,most of them on public land, and hunters tend to eat what we hunt too.

"This petition is really about the Greens proposal to lock up the Victorian Central Highlandsinto amassivenew national park.The drivingmotivationused to be the end of native timber harvesting... that industry has effectively been killed off.

"AsIwarned the government at the time, giving these extremists what they want was never going to appease them; it was only ever going to embolden them. So having got what they wanted,why arethey still trying to lock up this public land? Who arethey trying to protect this land from? The only answer Ican see is that they aretrying to protect itfromus, from people who they do not agree with and who they –frankly –look down their noses at."

Ms Bath said she appreciated Ms Copsey's love of the forests and national parks.

"What she failed to admit or understand in terms of the Central West investigation is that over 65 per cent of the public submissions to the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council wereactually opposed to the locking up of those state forests into national parks," she said.

"Thegover nment is not correcting its own homeworkbecauseithas failed to produce the Stateofthe Forests report, which actually looks at what it is doing in conservation. There is no reportcardon this, so the government therefore cannot be failing, but clearly itis.

VicPolicededicationfitting tribute

Liam DURKIN

AS long as Gip psl an dRotary CentenaryHousestands,the leg acy o fl at el oc a lD et ec tiv e Sergeant, John Hodge will also proudly stand as aper manent reminder of his dedicated service.

Almost 50 years since his passing, the family ofJohnHodge proudlygatheredatGippsland Ro ta ry Cen te na ry Ho us e, Traralgon to see the unveiling of ‘Stage 3’ named in his honour.

Det Sgt Hodge died while on duty in acar crash in Drouin in 1976 aged just 43.

His son Michael (one of five boys)was 13 at the time, and spoke on the family’s behalf at the dedication.

“An amazinghonour,tothink that afternearly 50 yearssince dad’s passed that we could commemorate him in the way we have, attached to such an iconic facility as Centenary House,” he said.

“Dad was Det Sgt at Warragul Police Station and CIB (Criminal Investigation Branch), very senior and prominent position in the local community,that’s what I remember, thestanding in which he had in the community. When you pass at 43, you leave alot on the table.

“I’msur ehe’dbe alittle bit embarrassed (by the honour) but he’d certainly be quite proud.”

Det Sgt Hodge was especially pi vot al in esta bli sh ing y outh groups around the Warragularea, including theWarragulDistrict Junior Football League, which is

stillgoingtoday. The Warragul Blues Junior Football Club under 14 best-and-fairest is named in his honour

The police dedication was also especially poignant, as Det Sgt Hodge’s wife, Isabel died only six months ago, aged 90. Aphoto of Isabellookedproudlyon those assembled, along withDet Sgt Hodge’s police service medals.

Befitting the occasion, Victoria Police Acting Chief Commissioner, Robert Hill APM addressed those assembled,inwhat wascoincidently his first official duty after assuming the role followingthe resignation of interim police chief, Rick Nugent on Thursday, May 8.

Other dignitaries to speak were

past Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation Gippsland Branch Pr esident, Sergeant Leanne Evans, BlueRibbon Foundation Chief Commissioner,Neil Soullier OAM (who also emceed), and Gip psl an dR ot a ry Cent ena ry HouseDeputyChair man, Dave Swainsbury.

Amo ng th es pe ci al gu est s wasVictorianPolice Minister, Anthony Carbines, thestate’s shadow police minister, David Southwick, Member for Morwell, MartinCameron,and Latrobe City Mayor,Dale Harriman, and deputy mayor,Sharon Gibson. VictoriaPolice’s Blue Ribbon Foundationsupports anumber of hospitals acr oss the state, including Centenary House –a

not-for -profit self-care accommodation facilityfor patients of the Gippsland Cancer CareCentre and specialistmedical services at Latrobe Regional Hospital. The house, located behind LRH,

contains 30 motel style guests’ ro oms, and aims to ease the bur den on Gippsland cancer patients and their families,who would otherwise have to travel to Melbourne for treatment.

Gippsland Rotary Centenary House Deputy Chairman, Dave Swainsbury and Victoria Police Acting Chief Commissioner,Robert Hill APM unveil the dedication.

Detective Sergeant Hodge’s sons Stephen, Michael and Geoffrey with Victoria Police Acting Chief Commissioner, Robert Hill APM. Photos: Liam Durkin

Victorian Police Minister,Anthony Carbines, Latrobe City Mayor,Dale Harriman, deputy mayor,Sharon Gibson and Michael Hodge.

MULE SX

4x4 XC

Petrol, 2seater, 400cc, Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) with (H, L, N, R)

MULE

Petrol, 2seater,695cc fuel injected, Speed SensitiveElectric PowerSteering(EPS)

MULEPRO-DX DIESEL

Diesel, 3seater, 993cc, 1.9m2 cargo bed

RIDGE RANCH

EDITION

Petrol, 3seater, Kawasaki-Built ,LiquidCooled 999ccIn-Line

Four,WARNVRX 45 Powerspor twinch

RIDGE HVAC

Petrol, 3seater, Kawasaki-Built ,LiquidCooled 999ccIn-Line Four,Factor y-standard full cab with HVAC, Powermode selection

TERYX SLE

Petrol, 2seater, High-per formance, long-travel suspension, 783cc V-Twin

Farmers take their fight to thestreet

From Page 1

IN the wake of the ESVFL announcement, many firestationsacross the statehave gone offline, flown CFAflags upside down, and some even going as farastopost videos online setting firetotheir uniforms in protest.

Fellow Heyfieldvolunteerfirefighter,Meryl Graham also articulated the overall affect the levy will have.

With the ESVFL, residential charges have also increased from 8.7c per $1000 of aresidential property's capital improved value to 17.3c per $1000.

"What Idisagree with is the bleeding the life out of Victoria, because it's not just farmers," Ms Graham said.

"Everyone's paying it. It's going to drive the cost of living up,that's going to put pressureoninterest rates to go up because inflation will go up.

"It's every single Victorian that's going to bleed over this and it's not right."

While Ms Graham doesn't believe their stand will see the state government shift its position, she said everyone who is tired of this "bleeding" needs to make astand.

"You have to try, we can'tbeapathetic forever,wecan't sit on the lounge and complain about it forever," she continued.

"Sooner or later,you've got to pick your hill and stand on it.

"Sometimes you've gottopick afight and say'this is my fight, Ican't let everybody else do it.' Ijust want to say no more."

Latrobe City Moe Ward Councillor,Adele Pugsley also addressed the crowd, making astrong declaration about council's stance

"Council have already done amotion that we don'twanttocollect thetax. We will continue to advocate to do whatever we can," she said.

"It's not fair that we areexpected to fork out moremoney out of our pockets.

"Thereare so many far mers who are already struggling to make ends meet. This would be the difference betweenaviable business or not.

"Thereare so many people already experiencingcost-of-living pressures, this would be the dif ferencebetweenbeing ableto eat or not."

Council's position towards these changes began at the February 2025 council meeting, formally writing to Premier Jacinta Allan and the Minister for Local Gover nment, Nick Staikos calling for the requirement of Victorian councils to collect the new fund to be removed and for it to be managed directly by the State Revenue Office.

"Th er ecent anno unc eme nt by the Victorian government to replace the (FSPL) with the (ESVFL), has sparked significant unrest across regional and rural areas including hereinLatrobe City," Latrobe City Council Mayor,CrDale Harrimantold Gippsland Farmer

"Wesupport our local farmers and business owners and sharetheir dismay at the change and the pressureitwill place on our community.

"Westrongly believe it is not the role of local councils to act as taxcollectors for state-imposed levies, particularly when the burden falls disproportionately on our communities.

"The State Revenue Of fice should be responsible for administering this levy, at the state's expense."

Thousands of demonstrators also congregated on Spring Street in Melbourne's CBD to voice their disapproval of the levy directly and loudly to the Victorian Premier For mer Pr em i er and far mer,D eni s Napthine, stateopposition leader Brad Battin, and leader of the state Nationals and Member for Gippsland South, Danny O'Brien also showed their support among the crowd in the city's standstill on Tuesday, May 20 (the same day the state budgetwas handed down).

Mr Battin, when addressing the crowd, promised to scrap the ESVFL if his party won next year's state election.

Premier Allan told Parliament last week that the ESVFL was integral in providing sufficient resources to emergency services.

"You cannot ignorethat moreand more is being asked of our emergency services, our state emergency services," she said.

"You cannot commit to ripping away… hundreds of millions ofdollars fromour emergency services without finding it from somewhereelse."

The state government has guaranteed thatthrough legislation that 95 percent of VICSES and CFAfunding would come fromthe new ESVF and 90 per cent of Fire Rescue Victoria's(FRV) annualfunding would also come through the levy.

CFAbrigades in Erica and Moe South wereannounced as the first recipients of new Medium Tankers funded through the ESVFL.

CFAwerereachedfor comment but did not respond beforeGippsland Farmer went to press.

All-in-all,the message was simple: no farmers, no food.

Demonstrators march down Commercial Road, Morwell.

Photo: Blake Metcalf-Holt

VicGrid draft plan raises questions

By PHILIP HOPKINS

FARMERSin Gippsland face new negotiations with VicGrid and of fshorewind developers underthe stategovernment's draft VictorianT ransmissionFund, with Victoria's peak farming body saying there arealot of unanswered issues.

The draft includes aGippsland offshore wind transmission Stage 2project, which features anew 500 kV transmission line from theexisting transmission network near Driffield to Woodside, and anew 500 kV line from Woodside to Gif fard. New terminal stationswillbeneeded at Driffield and Woodside.

Ther ei sa lso ap ro posed Gippsland Shoreline RenewableEnergy Zone between the Gippsland coast and South Gippsland Highway, from Seaspray to Reeves Beach, whereoffshorewind developers will need to locate underground cables that connect to aconnection hub near Giffard. This zone is not designed to host onshorewind or solar projects.

AR en ewab le Energy Zo n eb etween Morwell and Sale, and anew new 10-kilometretransmission line between Yallourn and Hazelwood arepart of the package.

The chair and president of the Victorian Farmers Federation, Brett Hosking, told Gippsland Far mer thatthe newVicGrid draft plan raised alot of questions. There was stillnot even an agreement on negotiations for the current Stage 1project, which involves aconnection hub near Giffardand a500 kilovolt (kV) transmission line that will connect the first 2gigawatts (GW) of of fshorewind energy to the grid in the Latrobe Valley. VicGrid has said it will refine the study area to acorridor andthena route for the new transmission.

Mr Hoskingsaid underthe draft, landholders who weretold their land was not

suitable had found themselves right in the middleofanew RenewableEnergy Zone (REZ). With morenegative attitudes than positive towards offshorewind farm projects, it was uncertain how many of these projects would get offthe ground.

"If thathappens,whatimpactwillthat have on potentiallymoreonshore wind farms?" he queried.

Community engagement had been poor

"I'm not hearing too many positive stories. The proposals aredividing communities and having an impact on health and

wellbeing. Proponents do not know how to do the best job," he said.

"VicGrid can put out their plan, but can proponents lift their game?"

Mr Hosking said many energy projects in the REZs werea long way from wherethe energy would be consumed.

Acommunity group, Better Transmission Gippsland (BTG), said the state government was heading toward failurein energy by refusing to invest insafe,moder ninfrastructuretocarry power from Gippsland’ s offshorewind farms to the Latrobe Valley. “They’ve released the plan, but they’re

stillmissingthe point,” said BTG chair Kirra Bott.

“The goal of this transition isn’t just more energy. It’s moresecureenergy."

Ms Bott said the two new overhead powerlineswerethe same outdated infrastructure that collapsed near Anakie in 2024, cutting power across the region and costing an estimated $770 million in damage. AusNet’s own datashowed these failuresare becoming morefrequent, now occurring less than six years apart on average.

“VicGrid claims undergrounding would cost $3 billion moreupfront but when spread across all Victorian households over 40 years, that’ sjust seven to eight cents moreper dayper household,or$2.31 a month -asmall price for apower supply that won’t collapse under pressure," she said.

“You can’t build the state’s futurepower supplyontowersthatkeep falling down The refusal to consider undergrounding isn’t just atechnical failure, it’s apolitical one.

“This governmentsaysit’s leading the energy transition, but when it matters, it picks the cheapest path and leaves communities, businessesand the grid exposed. Andwhen the towers go down again, which they will, we’ll all pay the price.”

The draft planaims for320-240 megawatts (MW) of new onshore wind energy in the Morwell-Sale REZ.

The draftT ransmissionPlan identified the need for new transmissionlines in Gippslandtosupport boththe draftproposed Gippsland REZ and about 7000MW of of fshore wind by2040. The location whereeach transmission line will be built has not yet been identified.

Empowering Australian Farmers

Off-GridEnergy Australia is anational leader in using solar andbatterysolutions to solvepower supply challengesinthe agriculturesector

As one of theoldest off-gridcompaniesinAustralia, they have successfully deployedmajor off-gridsolar and renewable energy projectsinall industry sectors over a rangeofapplications.

In response to the challenges posed by insufficientgrid infrastructureand soaring diesel fuel costs, Off-Grid Energy Australia, aleader in off-grid power deployment, has successfully implemented solar andbatterysolutions to powervarious agricultural operations offthe grid.

Thismovenot only ensuresuninterrupted power supply butalso marks asignificant stridetowardssustainability in theagricultural sector.

Reliable power for farming operations is critical

With many ruralareas grappling with powerbottlenecks from grid infrastructureand escalatingdiesel fuel expenses, traditional powersolutionshave proven to be unreliable,carbon intensive andcostly

Recognisingthese challengesMtBoothby Pastoral engaged Off-GridEnergy Australia to provide cuttingedge renewableenergyalternatives to power their operations, settinga new standard for sustainability and efficiencyinthe agriculturalindustry

Mt Boothby Pastoral Co is afamily-owned, mixedfarming operation includingcows, sheep, pigs andcropping.

The Feed Mill property hadbeen running entirely on diesel,which wasextremely expensiveand labourintensivefor theorganisation

An off-grid systemnow powers thesite,whichisused to

provide feed to theirpiggery,and has drastically reduced theirdieselcosts.

After completing this installation,MtBoothbycalled on Off-GridEnergytocompleteremedial works forthe off-grid system on theirFarrowing Property

By installing the latest in solar andbatterytechnology, Off-GridEnergyhas establishedanindependent and reliablepower source for these properties,mitigating the risks associated with griddependencyand volatile fuel prices

This transition notonly ensurescontinuousoperations and improved cash flowfor their clients butalsosignificantlyreduces theenvironmentalfootprint associated withtraditional energy sources.

“Newindustrialsolarand battery products arenow available, which means farmers canreducetheirdiesel reliance or offset expensive grid infrastructureupgrades with confidence, achieving significantcost savingsand improvingfarmresiliencealong theway.” said Off-Grid Energy’sVictorian/Tasmanian Regional Manager,Aaron Lewtas.

“Byharnessing the power of thesun and advanced

batterystoragesystems,these companies arenot only future-proofingtheir operations butalso inspiring positive change within the agricultural sector.”

“It’sbeenupand running fora year nowand it is PERFECT!

My wife cookeda threecoursemealusinga bigbelling inductionstovewith four ovens on adarkand dingy weekendand we dipped the batteriesdownto80 percent!

That recoveredbymid-morningthe next day.

When Imet Mark Itold him Idid not want anyone to have to think about being offgrid.

Iwanted powerwhenever we needed it and Ididn’t want ageneratorbacking it up.

Jobdone! Worksbrilliantly

Ihaverecommended the companytomany individuals that have been on our farm trips

”Chris Hindmarsh Island,SA

As the demand fornew energy technology continues to rise, Off-Grid Energy Australia remainscommittedtohigh quality solutions,witha strong focusonworkmanship andaftersales support.

Through their experience solving on-farmenergy challenges, the company seeks to positively impact the agricultural sectorand lay the groundwork formore sustainable and resilientAustralianfarms.

With asteadfastcommitmenttoinnovation andsustainability,Off-GridEnergyAustralia isdedicated to driving positive changewithin the agricultural industry through cutting-edge technology andresponsiblepractices

Mt Boothby

Taxdeductions available for removing asbestos from your farm

Accordingtothe Asbestos Safety and Eradication

Agencythe cost of asbestosremoval on afarminVictoria can be tax deductible, butonly if the primarypurpose of the removal is to prevent or addresspollution or waste. This meansthat if the asbestos removal is donetoprotect thehealthand safety of peopleonthe property, or to prevent the spread of asbestos contamination, then the costsmay be deductible.

Environmental Protection Activities:

The removal of asbestosisconsidered an environmental protection activity because it addresses apollutant (asbestos)

Deductible Expenses:

Youcan deduct expenses related to:

• TESTING: Costs fortestingtoconfirmthe presence of asbestos

• REMOVAL: Costs forprofessional removal and disposal of asbestos.

• REPLACEMENT: Costs forreplacingasbestos witha non-pollutant material,but only if it’s aminor change or improvement, nota capital improvement.

Income Producing Property:

For farm properties,the asbestosremoval maybe deductible if the farmisusedtoproduceincome (e.g., agricultural production).

It’salwaysa goodideatoconsult with aqualified tax advisor to determinethe specific tax implications for your situation

Wasyour farmhouse built before 1990?

Do you knowwhere asbestos is hiding on yourproperty?

Did youknowthat approximately 1/3ofall homes in Australia contain asbestos products?

Older farm buildings,built before1990, including farmhouses,barns,silos, pens andsheds arehighly likely to containasbestos construction materials. Asbestoscementpipeswerealso commonly used as field drains on farmlands.

Where it could be hiding

FLOOR

Take alookatthe floorcoverings in each room.

Asbestoscontainingfloor coverings or underlay’swere morecommonly (but not exclusively) located in wetareas of the household(Bathrooms, Kitchens the Laundry etc)

WALLS

Once painted,it’seasytobetricked into thinking that everything is thesame product

Youmust remember thatasbestos cement products were moulded into all sortsofshapes.

OVENS AND CHIMNEYS

AC Sheet was alsocommonlyusedtosealoff achimney Agoodexampleofthisiswhenthe chimneyhas been sealed offtohouse an oven.

There maybea cementsheet used to capoff thehole only or theremay be afullsurround installed.

HEATERS

AC Sheetwas agreat material to be utilised around heat becauseofits fireresistantproperties.

WETAREAS

Wetareas areaprime locationfor asbestos products. Behindsinksplash backs, feature panels in bathrooms, bathhobs, bath aprons, bathsurrounds,etc.

CEILING

The ceiling itselfmay be asbestos cement sheet. The cover straps if present may be asbestos cement and the patches, light basesand vent covers may all be formed from molded asbestoscement.

FLUES

Be awarethat thereare still afew asbestos ‘flues’inuse also

Over3000 products wereusedin residential,commercial, agriculturaland industrial settingsand areknown to havecontained asbestos.

ACV/GARDS recommends an audit of whereasbestos may be inyourproperty andtoconsider removal by a qualified registered removalist.

For furtherinformation please contact Vicki Hamilton on mobile 0407 274173

Virtualfarming trialsatEllinbank

VICTORIAN cattle farmers will soon be able to harnessthe benefits of virtualfencing and herding technology, with the state government taking the next step to allow this new technology.

The Minister for Agriculture, Ros Spence, recently announced that new regulations willbepreparedfor the use of virtual fencing and herding technology for cattle in Victoria.The announcement follows engagement with industry, manufacturers, and researchers on virtual fencing to understand the animal welfareimpacts of the technology that will create better and moreefficient farms.

Further engagement will occur with relevant stakeholders, includinganimal welfaregroups and the regulations, to be finalised by the end of the year

Atrial of Halter® virtual fencing technology at AgricultureVictoria’s Ellinbank

SmartF ar mw ill cont inue conduct ing research until June 30 –giving Victorian farmers the chancetoexperience first-hand this new technology close to home.

Since July 2024, dairy cattle at the SmartFar mhave been fitted withsolar powered smart collars that use electronic cues tocontain animalswithin avirtual fence and guide them to areas of the farm via amobile phone app. It also allows farmers to monitor their cows’ location, health and reproductive status.

Virtual fencing uses collars withGPS and wirelesstechnology to control livestock withoutphysical fences.If theanimal leaves adesignated area, the collars send out threewarning noise and vibration cues and additional stimulus to encourage the animal to returntothe area.

The new regulations will make surethe rollout of virtual fencingacross the state will improve animal welfareoutcomes, farm

safety, productivity and staffwellbeing.

Agricultu re Vi ctor ia is also activel y contributingtothe development of the Australian Animal WelfareGuide for Virtual Fencing, aproject led by the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

This guide aims to support a consistent regulatory approach across states and territories, while ensuring optimal animal welfareoutcomes wherevirtual fencing is used.

Expanded drought support

THE state government is providing further practical support to farmers across Victoria hit by drought and difficult seasonal conditions. The lack of rainfall this autumn is accelerating the hardship being faced by farmbusinesses, with many farms facing significantdecisionsaround destocking, securingfodder and managing low on-farm water supplies.

This new $15.95 million package extends the $13.53 million drought support package announced by the Premier and Agriculture Minis ter last Sept embe r. Agric ultu re Victoria’sfar mbusiness technical and decision-making support willbe made available statewide, supporting farmers to manage the impacts of increasinglydifficult seasonal conditions.

The technical,wellbeing andfinancial decision-making support program will ensu re far mb usi ness es have acc ess to tailored advice through one-on-one consultations, webinars, workshops, field days, and boosted online tools and information. Updated guidelines for the technical decision-making support program will be available soon.

The gover nment is also extending its partnership with the National Centrefor Farmer Healthbyinvesting$900,000 to continue their important workinsupporting regional communities. Theseescalated supports build on programs that arealways availableto Victorian far mbusinesses across the state. These include the Rural Financial Counselling Service, the federal government’s FarmHousehold Allowance and low interest loans available through the Regional Investment Corporation. AgricultureVictoria will continuetomonitor conditionsand ensuresupport is given to farmers who need it most.

Food safety

MELON, berryand leafyvegetable businesses of all sizes arerequired to register for thenew Food Safety Standards which came into effect for growers in February 2025. Join the morethan 50 businesses that

have registered so far Log in to AgricultureVictoria Connect to complete your food safety registration.

Twin Lamb Disease

AS we move towards winter, sheep producers may begin to seecases ofpregnancy toxaemia or twin lamb disease in their ewes. Twin lamb diseaseoccurs when ewes have an inadequate energy intake during the last four to six weeksofpregnancy During this final period of pregnancy, ewes’ energy needs increase substantially, as she is providing energy for both herself, and her rapidly growinglamb. Ewesthatare carryingtwins areparticularly susceptible, hence the name. In fact, aewe carrying twinshas one-and-a-half times the energy requirements of aewe with asingle lamb, and morethan twice the energy requirements of adry ewe.

Dr JeffCave, Senior Veterinary Officer

The stategovernment hasannounced a$15 milliondrought support package.

Photo iStock

Drought feeding

With South Australia already experiencing drought the likelihood of Victoria being in drought is increasing,especially under a warming climate.

Studiessuggest that droughts in Victoria arelikelytobecome morefrequent, intense and longer in duration.

Althoughdroughtsand dry times are part of Australianfarming enterprisesthey result in increased costs, decreased production and income, and increased mental and physical strain on those affected.

Periods of drought requireproducers to make important decisions thatwillhave short-term and long-termimpactsona farming enterprise.

For producers facing afeed shortage,a range of options areavailableincluding selling stock or buying in feed.

The earlier the decisionsare madethe better and usuallythe economiccost is minimised.

Producersshouldknow what livestock they can affordtofeed through to the expected break and gain an appreciation of what the value of their livestockisinthe current market.This will allow for arealistic assessment of their situation.

Animal welfareiscritical when feed and water resources areunder pressureand producers must always act in away that

deliversagood animal welfareoutcome, even if that means destocking.

Livestock requireacombination of protein, energy, roughage and minerals to maintain good rumen function and maintain body function.

The condition score of livestockshould be monitored throughout the droughtand feeding regulated to ensurethe condition scorereflects reasonableanimal health and welfareand suits the production requirements of the enterprise.

If reasonable condition cannot be maintained, livestock should be sold or agisted.

In aperiod of drought or adry time by-products not usuallyfed to livestock and failed crops that wereintended to be harvested can end up being used as feed.

In thissituation,itiscritical thatproducers understand the history of the feed and whether it may have been exposed to chemicals.

Confinement feeding is another drought feeding option typically applied to sheep.

This aims to promote animal health and welfare while preserving ground cover and land condition across the majority of the property.

This is achieved by confininglivestock to a small area wherethey arefed atotal ration. Successful confinement feeding relies on good site selection, an appropriatemob size

Prepay and reap the Taxbenefits

June BrownWigg areoffering the opportunity to prepay for goods. This will allow accounts to be credited beforethe EOFY,enabling businesses to claim purchases for the next 12 months.

BrownWigg Prepayments

 Small businesses may be entitled to an upfront tax deduction on amounts prepaid to BrownWigg beforethe 30th of June 2025.

 Earn5%p.a. on year

and stocking density and the provision of appropriate nutrition.

The effects of drought on animal health will depend on the class of livestock e.g. dry versus pregnant stock, the body condition of the livestock as they enter aperiod of drought, the feeding regime adopted by the

AnimalHealth &Wellbeing

producer and the length of the drought.

The effects of parasites and disease may also be morepronounced with the added burden of drought.

Producers shouldatall times be aware ofand effectivelymanage the health and welfareoftheir livestock.

The Equestrian Emporium

The Equestrian Emporium is very excited to be able to sharethe need for equestrian supplies in the East Gippsland area.

Whether it’s for competition purposes casua lr idin g, gift item so rf or your horses overall well-being, The Equestrian Emporium can help!

They openedtheir doors on the 1st of January 2025 and offer lots of different items and brands that haven’t been available in their area before!

Such as KEP helmets from Italy,Betavet supplements, BareEquestrian apparel, Giddyup Girl, Ippico,Gala Equine, MP

Clamping down on quality silage

On manyfarms,grass silagecan be a significant component of the animal diet particularly through the summer months.

Yetitcan be the one that is themost variable,and these variances can havea huge impact on animal performance

Ensureenough time has passed between nitrogen (N) application and cutting dates.

When Nis not completely usedup in the standing silage crop, excess nitrogen impacts on ensilabililty which may result in apoorerfermentationwithdark,

unpalatable and unstable silage at feed-out

Cut silage swards totarget increased dry matter and sugar content of the crop.

Better sugar contentwill improve preservation and subsequent feed out quality.

The opposite ofthis is wet grass with acidic silage that can be unpalatable.

The use of asilage additive will not compensate for poor silage harvest management or quality but can be used to improve preservation and feed out characteristics.

Egalis, the new silageinoculant from

Alltech, brings together decades of expertise in fermentation, utilising bacteria strains specifically selected by their scientists to maximise nutrient and dry matter protection and improve animal performance.

Suitable for use on all forages, Egalis efficiently and rapidly drives fermentation to astable, final pH.

It is comprised of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Pediococcus pentosaceus, which work synergisticallytorapidly lower the pH to the required final pH irrespective

of the dry matter or the buffering capacity of the forage.

Together with their on-farmsupport team and range of services, Alltech can help to improve fermentation to produce superior quality silage, enabling youtohold onto moreofwhat you grow, from field to feed passage.

Contact Donal Blackwell on 0408 377304 for moreinformationon Egalis and optimising silage performance.

The Importance of Trace Mineral Injections

Trace minerals arerequired for optimal growth, reproduction, and immunity.

Optimising trace mineral status relying solely on oral supplements across aherd may fail because of variation in individual intake and reduced absorption due to antagonismofother rationcomponents and minerals.

Any aspect of trace mineral status impairment can have significant implications on the cow.

Thereisonly ashort windowoftwo to three months wherethe cow has achance of becoming pregnant in time to remain in sync with our production systems and produce acalf every year

The use of injectable trace mineral supplements hasbeenassociated with positive reproductive outcomes including improved conception rate, increased odds of pregnancy and greater final in calf rate.

Astudy conducted on 2,168 dairy cows, administered injectable trace minerals, four weeks prior to calving and again four weeks prior to the start of mating, showed treated animals had a3.3 percent greater final in-calf rate, and areduced time from start of mating to conception,compared to control animals1.

Another study has shownthat cows treated with injectable trace minerals were associated with asignificant reduction in bothclinicaland subclinical mastitis, highlighting the benefits that trace element supplements can haveonpasture-based dairy cows2.

The Importance of B12

Dr Carl Eden, Technical Services VeterinarianwithBoehringer

Ingelheim

says “Vitamin B12 is sometimes referred to as a‘super vitamin’ because it is only requiredinverysmall amounts butvital to many essential metabolic pathways. However,demand for B12 can vary considerablyduring the year and we see serum levels of B12 fall at critical times, such as the first few months after calving.”

Vitamin B12 contains cobalt,sodeficiency in cobalt can lead to deficiency in vitamin B12 because ruminants get most of their B12 as abyproduct of ruminal fermentation wherethe bacteria in their rumen assemble B12 from cobalt for use by the cow.

Sub-optimal tracemineraland vitamin B12 status at calving, mating, and drying offhas beenshown to negatively impact growth, reproduction, and immunity.

Using atrace mineral injectable containing vitamin B12 can improve trace mineral and vitamin B12 status at these critical times.

Marks-Min with Vitamin B12 –The Evidence

In the largest trace element study to date, Marks-MinInjectable Trace Mineral with

VitaminB12 demonstrated remarkable results when comparedtoareference trace mineral injection.

“Given the differences between MarksMin and other products on the market, we wantedtogenerate acompelling data set to demonstrate how effective it was compared to the pioneer product.

“Weentrusted this work to athird-party research company” says Dr Eden.

“Wechose farms that wereatthe top of their gamefromareproductive perspective.

“Wemade surethat the farms had no evidence of trace element or vitamin B12 deficiencies or excess.”

Across all outcomes of interest, MarksMin demonstrated clear non-inferiority when compared to the reference product.

Outcomesmeasured included submission, pregnancy and conception rates, and six week in-calf rate.

Marks-Min demonstrated it is highly suited as an alternative treatment to the reference product.

Dr Eden commented “Weall love data, and this is agreat data set as it opens options.

“Marks-Min joins the ranks of proven injectable trace mineral preparations and gives advisors and farmers an alternative to Multimin with the added benefit of B12 to support optimalhealth fertilityand production.”

References

1. Hawkins, D.,and B. V. S. Franklin. New Zealand Dairy Veterinarians Newsletter 24 (2007): 12-16

2. Bates,A. J.,etal.TheVeterinary Journal 286 (2022): 105867 AU-BOV-0003-2025

Drones Transform Animal Welfare Management and Efficiency

The integration of drones is transforming how farmers use their time to safeguard the welfareofcalves and heifers during calving season.

This technology of fers anon-invasive, efficient waytodetectearly signs of distress or illness, enabling timely intervention and improving herdmanagement.

Calving season demands constant vigilance,ascomplicationscan arise swiftly, endangering bothnewborns and mothers. Traditional monitoring methods,while effective, arelabor -intensive and may stress animals.

As an authorisedDJI dealer,Worker Bee Drones offers awide range of drones and supporting equipment that provide a modernalternative, scanning large areas rapidly andidentifyingissueswithhigh resolution imagery, drastically enhancing animal welfareand farmefficiency.

Navigating har d-to-access ar easlike ditchesordense vegetation,away from the herdwherecalves may hide, is asignificant challenge during calving season.

Dronesenhancesafety by reducingthe need for far mers tophysically traverse hazardous terrain, alleviating ground disturbance or work in unfavourableweather conditions, which can lead to fatigue and increased occupational health and safety risks.

Drones equippedwiththermal sensors detect heat signatures of hidden calves or heifers, helping you find them quickly, while visiblelight sensors and spotlights provide clear visuals in all lighting conditions. This allows farmers to pinpoint animals and identify markings without risking injury or expending unnecessary effort.

By saving time on monitoring, drones reduceworkloadbyenablingfar mersto intervene only when an issue is detected, minimisingexposuretodangerousconditionsand drastically optimising time ef ficiencybyeliminating manual supervision and unnecessary or misguided searches.

Beyondlocatinganimals,drones excel in health monitoring by helpingfar mers toquickly detect herd separation

and temperaturevariations, which can indicate heifersexperiencing dystociaor infections, as well as calves suffering from hypothermia.

Remote assessments reducestress on animals while ensuringtimely interventions, ultimately lowering mortality rates and veterinary costs.

Drones also prove invaluable in locating escaped or separatedanimals,utilising high-resolution visible light cameras for daytime searches and thermal imaging for low-light or dense canopy and terrain operations.

Advanced AI integration further streamlines operat ions by auto matin gh er d countingand straydetection, providing

earlier war nings while reducinglabor, compared to traditional manual methods.

This not only enhances ef ficiency but also ensures no animal goes unnoticed, improving overall herdwelfare.

For broaderherdmanagement, drones provide real-time data,allowing far mers to assess conditions such as lameness or injury without disturbing the animals.

This capability is especially useful in large pasturesorduring inclement weather, when manual inspections would be impractical.

The ability to monitor herds remotely ensures that issues areidentified early, preventing minor problems from escalating into major health crises.

While adopting drone technology requires

initial investment in equipment, training, and regulatory compliance, Worker Bee Drones simplifiesthe process by guiding farmers through each step.

They have solutions to suit all farmtypes, sizes, and skill levels, ensuring asmooth transition to modernised herdmanagement.

From aneconomic perspective, drones offer substantial cost savings through early interventions,reducedlabor requirements, and improved recovery of stray animals.

Automated counting and monitoring minimise human error whilemaximising efficiency, making daily operations easier and morecost-effective.

The reduction in manual labor not only cuts expenses but also allows farmers to allocate their time morestrategically, focusing on critical tasks rather than constant manual surveillance.

Additionally, theimproved health outcomes for calves and heifers translates to ahigher quality product, and higher productivity and profitability in the long run.

Worker Bee Drones provides access to a wide range of DJI drones tailored to agricultural needs, ensuring farmers have the right tools to enhance their calving season management.

By leveraging this technology,far mers can achieve better herdhealth, increased operationalefficiency, and greater peace of mind.

The shift to drone-assistedmonitoring represents aforward-thinking approach to far ming, whereprecision, safety, and animal welfaretake priority.

For those ready to modernise their operations, contacting Worker Bee Drones is the first step towardtransforming the calving season into amoremanageable, efficient, and profitable period.

The benefits extend beyond immediate timesavings, fostering sustainable practices that improve both animal well-being and farmproductivity for years to come.

Gippsland Veterinary Hospital

Gippsland Veterinary Hospitals, at Maffra and Sale, and Gippsland Equine Hospital encompassteams of highly skilled professionals and staffwho arecommitted to the health and welfareof their patients and the prosperity of their clients.

Constantly risingtothe challenge of acontinually changing environment, they careabout you, your animals and your future.

Their teams arehighly trained andregularly attend continuing education coursesand conferences, ensuring their advice and treatments arebased on the latest scientifically accepted evidence.

Their pro fessional ski l ls a re backed by the excellent facilities and equipmentatall of their clinics.

Equine Veterinary Services

Gippsland Equine Hospital has purposebuiltsurgery facilities, and t wo e xpe ri en ced e qu in e surg eons a vaila ble for b oth emergency and elective surgery. The digitalx-ray equipment is portable allowing for on farmand in clinic diagnosis.

Thereare fivestables,all lined withpadded rubbertomakea

comfortable stay for patients. There is also adoublesized stableperfect for amareand foal.

Equine Ambulatory Services

The v eter in ary te am of fer a comprehensive rangeof equine health services from vaccinations general healthchecks,gelding, and nutrition advice,routineand emergency care.

Equine Dentals

Equine dental services are performed by experienced vets with Power float for optimum assessment, diagnosis and treatment including sedation and pain relief as required. They also per for madvanced dental procedures such as tooth extractions and x-rays.

Gastroscopy and Endoscopy

State of the art diagnostics for assessment of upper respiratory con dit ion sa nd inf lam mat ory conditions as well as gastroscopy for assessmentofgastriculcers areavailable.

Reproduction

The facility includes adummy for training and collecting stallions for

fresh, chilled and frozen Artificial Insemination (AI).

Mar es ca nbepre pa re dand inseminated withfresh, chilled and frozen semen.

They also offer embryo transfer and have arecipient mareherd.

ProDairy

Gippslandveterinary hospital is now enrolling clients in this innovative program.

Designed for dairy farmers and delivered by dairy vets, ProDairy promotes cow health, welfare and production.

Their proactive approach to dairy systemswith afocus on preventative healthallowsmonitoring of

disease status within aherd.

Early identificationof animal health issuesprovides the best opportunity for treatment with minimal impact on profitability.

ProDairytreatmentprotocols guide the usage of all prescription medicines under the supervision of your herdveterinarian.

ProDairy can provide you with competitively priced products due to the scale of the businessand national network of clinics. Finally, the service programs have been designed with farmers in mind.

The yh av eb ee ne xt ens ive ly road-tested to deliver value and improved efficiency on-farm.

PuzzlePage

QUICK CROSSWORD

(6)

Careful(8)

Reprimand (5)

Intercede (9)

Fluid injection (5)

Clumsy (9) 13 Plan of ac tion (8)

Obedient (6)

Uproar (6)

Sc ar ythings(8)

Reflect supon(9)

Brings up (5)

Makingloud and confused noise (10) 27 Bringfor th (5) 28 Removes(8) 29 Water-surroundedland (6)

9-LE TTER WORD

Usingthe ninelettersinthe grid,how many wordsof four letters or more can you list? The centreletter must be included and each letter may only be used once. No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalisednouns, apostrophes or plural nounsendingin“s”.

Today’sAim:

8words: Good

12 words: Very good 17 words: Excellent

The Gippsland Farmer newspaperhas played apivotal role in the success of TTMI across Gippsland. As atrusted dealer of tractors and farm machinery, we have come to rely on the newspaper’s extensive reach, professional services, and exceptional customer careto effectively promote our products and connect with the Gippsland farming community.

The Gippsland Farmer hasbeeninstrumental in helping us showcase ourofferings into ourkey market demographic. With their comprehensive coverage of all things agricultural, the newspaperhas provided us with apowerful platform to reach farmers, growers, and industry professionals throughout the region. Their commitment to delivering high-qualitycontent and relevant news has created areceptive and informed readership, giving our advertising efforts even more impact

Paula, our advertising consultant and remarkable member of The Gippsland Farmer team, has been an invaluable asset in our advertising journey.Paula’s exceptional professionalism, attention to detail, and regular reminders about advertising deadlines have ensured all our promotional campaigns run seamlessly.Her dedication to providing a personalised experience and exceptional customer service has made everyinteraction with The Gippsland Farmer an absolute pleasure

Moreover,I am grateful for Paula’s consideration of TTMI for special advertising features and promotions. She has gone above and beyond to provide us with opportunities to highlight our business and offerings in unique and creative ways. Her keen understanding of ourindustry and unwavering support have trulymadea difference in the visibilityand success of our advertising efforts.

Iwould highly recommend The Gippsland Farmer newspaper to any business in the agricultural sector seeking effective advertising solutions. The newspaper’s wide readership, informative content ,and exceptional customer caremakeitanideal platform to connect with the farming communitythroughout Gippsland.

We look forwardtoacontinued partnership p p with The Gippsland Farmer,confident in the knowledge that ouradvertising needsare in the best of hands.

1 Triumph (7)

Legaloffence (5) 3 Handsome (7) 5 Represent ativesong (6) 6 Underwater missile(7) 7 Spy(9) 8 Ghost (7) 10 Cake decoration (5)

Super fluous(9)

Meansoftransport (7)

SouthwesternUSs tate (7)

Fertilespot(5)

Wait st af f(7)

Hang by at tachment(7)

Holiday accommodation(6)

Fragrance(5)

Drought support on its way

THE state government says it is continuing to back farmers impacted by drought and dry conditions, with expanded support to deliver on-farminfrastructuregrants and increase resilience into the future.

But Wellington Shirefar merswill miss out on direct financial support.

AgricultureMinister RosSpence last week announced afurther $15.9 million to help morefarmers and communities over winter, expanding support to farmers in 13 more localgovernment areas on top of those backed as part of the$13.5 million drought support package announced in September

The government alsoannouncement partial rebates on the controversial Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund for farmers eligiblefor the infrastructure grants program in the government’s drought support package.

The On-Farm DroughtInfrastructure Grant program has already supported more than 1500 farmers in south-west Victoria and will be extended to farmers in the new and existinglocalgovernment areas (LGAs) and French Island.

The package will continue for the existing 11 LGAs across south-west Victoria and expand it to all West Wimmera, Horsham Rural City, NorthernGrampians, Hepburn, Moorabool, Ballarat, Towong, Mornington Peninsula, Bass Coast, Cardinia, Baw Baw, Casey, South Gippsland, and French Island.

This drought package will support small businesses in impacted LGAs through the appointment of asmall business financial counsellor

The government will extend its partnership with the National Centrefor Farmer Health by investing $900,000 through the 2025-26 state budget to deliver ongoing services and resources to the farming community.

AgricultureVictoria’sfarmbusiness technical and decision-making support will also

be made available state wide,supporting farmers to manage the impacts of increasingly difficult seasonal conditions.

AgricultureVictoria will continuetomonitor conditions in the critical period leading up to spring, ensuring support is gettingto farmers who need it most.

Regional drought coordinator Ralph Cotter said farmers experiencing toughdrought and dry conditions wereurged to reach out.

“Weare heretohelp through connecting you with the financialgrants,technical advice orwellbeing support tohelpyou navigate this difficult time,” he said.

To view the full range of financial,technical and wellbeing support available to drought impacted farmers visit agriculture.vic.gov. au/dryseasons or phone 136 186.

While welcoming the new drought support measures, the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) claimed theydidn’tgo farenough to address themounting pressure facing farmers and rural communities.

VFF president Brett Hosking said the limited scale of the package falls well short of whatwas required, especially when compared with moresubstantial efforts in other states such as South Australia.

“Far mersare not asking forhand-outs They areaskingfor meaningfulrecognition of the strain this drought is putting on their livelihoods, their families and their mental health,” he said.

“The response so far is too narrow in scope. What is urgently needed is for the gover nmentto get out intothe regions, speak directly withthe farmersdoing it tough, and take real action based on what they arehearing. Of course, financial support is vital, but it is also about showing that people in the city understand and care about what is happening in the bush.”

Join irrigation reference group

IT’S not quite FarmerWants aWife,but it’s just as important!

We st Gipp sl and C atch me nt Management Authority (WGCMA) is on the hunt for irrigators to help ensure Gippsland irrigation practices areworld class.

The Lake Wellington Irrigator Reference Group meets four times ayear to have robust conversations around irrigation and exploreopportunities to improve water use efficiencies and deliver cutting edge change on the ground.

“The current group has left afantastic legacy for the region and now it’s time to welcomesomenew voicesto the conversation,” WGMCA Sustainable Irrigation Project officer Bonnie Dawson said.

Group members play aleading role in supporting the SustainableIrrigation Program in Gippsland.

For the past 25 years, the successful program has workedtoreducethe environmental impact of irrigation and increase efficiencies and productivity for busy farmers.

As the program expands beyond the Macalister Irrigation Districtfor the first time, members will help deliver the latestround of extensionand incentive programs in their local community.

“With morefarmers settobenefitfrom our activities, we’rekeen for irrigators across thecatchment to getinvolved, bring their industry expertise to the table and helpus drivethe program intothe future.Far mers alongthe Latrobe River,producers in Thorpdale and surrounds and all irrigators across the Lake Wellington Catchment are encouraged to apply,” Ms Dawson said.

Supported by staf ffromboth the WGC MA and Agr ic ul tu re Vi ct or ia ,

members will be remunerated for their valued time and input.

Current member Rod Warren said being involved in the group has helped himmake decisions about upgrading infrastructureon his dairy far min Winnindoo.

“Being part of the reference group has beenarewarding experience. A highlight for me was being involved in the irrigation demonstration trials, which really got people thinking about ways they canimprove efficiencies on their own farm,"hesaid.

"I would strongly encourage anyone thinking aboutjoiningthe reference group to give it ago."

Agronomist and fellow member Liz Semmens agreed.

“It’sbeenanamazing experienceto be able to participate in the group. I’ve enjoyedseeing the younger members come through and challenge the ‘norms’ with moreAgTech and progress to stay up to datewith world best practice," she said.

"Ther eh as also been sign ifica nt growth towardcollaboration between agencies and the opportunity to get a seat at the table is one Iamgrateful for.” For moreinformation, phone Bonnie Dawson at WGCMA for an initial conversation on 0448 037 461 or email bonnied@wgcma.vic.gov.au

Expr ession so f inter est close on Friday, June 6.

The WGCMA is responsible for more than 40,000kilometres ofdesignated waterways across the region and delivers programs for healthy and resilient catchments. All these waterways flow to the Victorian coast, discharging through the Gippsland Lakes, ordirectly into Bass Strait and the SouthernOcean.

Modestgrowth tipped for farm land prices

AUSTRALIAN far mlandprices

ar ee xpe cte dt or etur nt o modest gr owth in the year ahea d, Rabob ank says i ni ts newly-released2025Australian Farmland Price Outlook.

The an nu al re po rt, by the agribusinessbanking specialist's RaboResear ch division, says apositive outlook for key agricultural driversisexpected to see agricultural landprices rebound in the year ahead, albeit at amodest "base case" forecast of three per cent growth.

The ba n k' sa nal ys is –o f a high-quality data set sampling Australian commer cial sales

across the country analysed by a teamofprofessionalappraisers –found overall far mland prices had contracted in 2024, with the median price per hectareacross all agricultural land types nationally decreasing by six per cent on the previous year

This had come, however,after a period of extraordinary growth for agricultural land prices, the bank said, with the medianprice per hectarefor farmland in Australia growingan"astonishing" 79 per cent between 2020 and 2023.

Price moves also varied between land types and across the country, the data set showed,with Western

Australia andSouth Australia bucking thenationaltrend and recording increases in the median price of agricultural land.

Report lead author , RaboResearch analyst Paul Joules said agricu ltural land prices would likely rebound in 2025, "but we expectgrowthtobemodest compared with recent years".

"Buyers will be searching for value and, given the recent price drop, investmentopportunities may present themselves in 2025 as buyers capitalise on weaker land values," he said.

The report can be found at: www.rabobank.com.au

WHERE’S THE WATER?

Thisstory is contributed by SamLoria, AustralianPump Industries’Victorian Area Manager.

Samalso works with dealers in South Australia where he hasmade loads of goodfriendsand establishedAussie Pumps as the mosttrustedbusiness of its kindinAustralia!

Here,Sam reflects on the drought and in more detail, thedanger of Australia’s inaction in harnessing Australia’swater resources

Climate Change Reality

Sincewe’veseen justinthe last few monthsalone, gigantic amounts of water dumped in NSW andQueensland –particularly in the Burdekin watershed –all theway up to Cairns, anddown to northern New South Wales.

Moving inland, we saw the“Channel Country”under water withthe loss of up to amillion drownedbeefcattle,and who knows howmanysheep.

As the floods continuetosubside, the death countgrows.

In themeantime, Victoriaisindrought, large sections of South Australiaand southernNew South Walesare suffering as well.

Allthat, and we cityfolk passivelywatch it on television without understanding anything likewhat farmers and our regional relativesgothrough.

Missed Opportunities

Visionaries like John Bradfield, renowned for designingthe SydneyHarbour Bridge,recognized the potentialof Australia’swater resources in 1953! Bradfield proposed redirecting northern riversintothe MurrayDarling Basin to irrigate drought-stricken regions, and supportagricultural productivities. Yet, almost acentury later,his vision remains unrealised.

Political short-termismhas hindered progress.

Ideas like Tony Abbott and Barnaby Joyce’s100 Dams Project never got off the ground!

Political instability derailedtheir implementation

Real progressrequires long-term commitment which only state andfederal governments can accomplish!

Aussie Pumps’ Answer

The Aussie Pumpsteamhave atotally different attitude to most of theircolleaguesinthe pumpbusiness

Aussie has becomethe most respected business of itskindinthe country, with hugeorganicgrowth over thelast30 years.

Alot of thecreditgoestoour Chief Engineer,John Hales.

John has done amazing things in his career,frombuildingpower stationsto designingearth-moving equipmentand, forthe last 20 yearsorso, being the ChiefEngineer at AussiePumps.

Hisattitudeis indicated by the fanatical ethic of producingproducts “asifwe weregoing to use them ourselves!”

That attitude of,the customer first, goes right throughthe whole ethicofAussie Pumps andisshown in their products

Not Just FirePumps

It’s true thatAussie Pumps make the world’sbestlightweight portable fire pump, with220,000 Aussie QP205SE pumps operatingnot just in Australia, but aroundthe globe.

Ourproduct is so different to thetired old brandsfromthe past that consumers can telljustbyseeing theoutside, what the inside of thepump might be like

We’reworking on newdesigns all the time andare abouttolaunch asingle impellerfirepumpthat will perform as if it’satwinimpeller!

That new version of theAussie FireChief

with incredible performance is an indication of just howserious thisAustralian home-growncompany is.

Aussie hasnow moved on to become Australia’spre-eminent high pressure water blastermanufacturer in Australia, by simply makingmachines thatare basedoncustomer inspiration Dairies,for example, canrelyonthe stainlesssteel framed Aussierange of high pressurecold water blasters, available in bothhot andcoldconfigurations.

Aussie’s even got a4,000 psi hot water machinethatrunsoff the power of the electrical circuit of aHonda 13 hp engine!

It’scalledthe Heatwave.

It’sa mobilesteam cleaner that can be ute-mountedorstationeryinthe farm wash bay

Bestofall for farmers, it’s at agoodprice that farmerscan affordand even comes in astainless steel frame.

Electric Drive Hot Wash

Acomplete range of hotwashand steam cleaners starts with the unique‘Aussie Sizzler’.

This is alow-cost topquality machine with aslowspeed pump and motor, that runs an 1,800 psi and80°C hotwash. This little machine is afractionofthe priceofplasticEuropeanimports andis used by anumberofdairies in Australiafor sterilisation and elimination of bacteria.

From therethe company has developed some of thebestheavyduty steam cleaners in the business. We even make onethatdoes4,000 psi and delivers up to 135°C steam. Bestofall themachinesare bargain pricedfor farmerswithGippsland dairyfarms able to buydirectfrom Aussie Pumps andget the very best packagedeal.

BigPumps Too

Australian Pump is working handinhand with theUnitedNations.

For thepastfiveyears, we’veshipped big 6” trashpumps,powered by Deutz 80 hp diesel engines to South Sudan to help protect Juba from theannual monsoonalfloods.

Theyare redirectingthe Nile River to protect thecapital Aussie’sgot 26 of our bigmachines over therenow,delivering 175million liters of water aminute!

Aussie’s No Fake Price Policy

We’ve seen many of our competitors from the oldschool putting up their retail pricessotheir dealers can givefake discounts to unsuspecting consumers. Aussie won’tdothat!

The prices arefair and have stayedthe same

Aussie’ssuperiorproductsare soldata lowerprice than lesserproducts in terms of performance, quality and features. That applies notonlytofirepumps, transferpumps, trash pumps,and other, but also to thecompany’srange of high pressure waterblasters as well.

We thinkaboutthe consumer first and foremost!

We’llfight for water security for regional Australia

The Positive Approach

Here’s aquote from IonIdreiss, Gallipoli veteran and famous Australianauthorof the 40’s,50’sand 60’s,who wroteafter he saw what he called the millennium flood in1956:

“Pause,and if onlyfor amoment,try to imagine the unimaginable volume of fresh waterthatisrushed away to seaduring these last fewyears alone. Then imaginethe broken hearts that would not break,the homesweshould save,the jobs we shouldkeep, the individualand nationalwealth we shouldretain.”

Imagine what we could do with that waterin droughttimeslikenow!

Australia has the resources, theexpertise and theopportunitytoleadthe world in water management.

So why don’twe?

Withthe rightinvestment and leadership anythingispossible!

It’spainful to watch politicians gloating overthe possibility of a100 billion dollar agricultural year,when most of them have no idea how it wasactually achieved

Theydon’tget theworkand the sweat that was putintoit!

At Aussie,weare forRegional Australia.

It’s timewedid somethingabout water security.

Visit aussiepumps.com.au formore information.

Aussie’sChief Engineer and the Big 6-inch pumps that saved Juba

A1946 Map of how to bring water security to the inland

Sam Loiria is on the Farmers side

National party giant remembered

NATIONALSinthe Latrobe Valley and Gippsland aremourning the passingof former Cabinet Minister and Member for Gippsland,The HonourablePeter Nixon, AO, who was agiant of federal politics.

Mr Nixon died peacefullyinMelbour ne on Thursday, May 1with his family by his side, at the age of 97.

Afamily spokesman said: “Right to the end,hedid it his way. He livedfor The Nationals and he was incredibly proud that thereare two generationsof family members following in his footsteps in voluntary roles with the party”.

Mr Nixon was bornin Orbost on March 22, 1928, and grew up far ming in the Orbost region. He entered politics after the retirement of George Bowden in 1961, held the seat of Gippsland for 22 years, and is one of only eight people since Federation to serve in the role.

Mr Nixon went on to serve as aMinister under five different Prime Ministers –Harold Holt, John McEwen, John Gorton, William McMahon and Malcolm Fraser – and was entrusted with responsibility for a variety of portfolios across his career.Heheld ministerial office as Minister for the Interior (1967-1971), Shipping and Transport (1971-1972), Postmaster -General (1975), Tr ansp ort (197 5- 197 9) and Pr ima ry Industry (1979-1983).

Married to Sally Dahlsen in 1952, the couple had three childrenbeforeSally’s passing in 2013. He was one of the most substantial MPs of his generation and his memoirs (An Active Jour ney -The Peter Nixon Story) contain many interesting accounts of his political life, both at home and abroad.

In his life after politics, Mr Nixon continued his farming interests and was appointed chair of SouthernCross Broadcasting. He also served on the Victorian Football League Commission from 1985 to 1991, and was Chief Commissioner of EastGippsland ShireCouncil after the amalgamation process.

Mr Nixonwas made an Of ficer of the Order of Australia for his service to the Australian Parliament and to the communityin1993. He was also apatron of the Richmond FootballClubfor morethan 40 years.

"If you want to know how famous he is... if you go east of Bairnsdale, the people up therearen’t quite sureifGod’s God, or Peter Nixon is God,” long-serving Richmond President, Ian Wilson (father of well-known journalist Caroline) said.

The Nationals’ Victorian President, Jo Armstrong, said Mr Nixon would be fondly rememberedbyhis former staff, colleagues and party members.

“Peterwas agiantofour party anda statesman for Australia who served with integrity and distinction during aturbulent time in federal politics,” Ms Armstrong said.

“On behalf of The Nationals family across Victoria, I extend my sincere condolences to the Nixon family.”

Victorian Leader ofThe Nationals and Member for Gippsland South, Danny O’Brien, said he had been inspired by Mr Nixon throughout his own political journey.

“Peter Nixon set the benchmark for outstandingservice to hislocal community while also working at the highest levels of government in senior Ministerial roles,” Mr O’Brien said.

“Our party is poorer for his passing, but richer from the contribution he made over several decades as aparty volunteer Member ofParliament, CabinetMinister, and mentor for others.”

The curr en tMemb er forGipp sl and Darren Chester,said he first met Peter in 1995 when he was ayoungstaffmemberat the shire, and rememberedhis formidable intellect, passion for regional communities and determination to get things done.

"It’s beenanhonourtofollowinthe footsteps of Peter Nixon in Gippsland,” Mr Chester said.

“Peter will be remembered as astatesman of Australian politics who contributed enormously to the prosperity of regional Australiaand was aprincipal architect and chief strategist for the then Coalition government."

Af or me rV ic to ri an L ea de ro fT he

Nationals, Peter Ryan, who was the Member for Gippsland South, said his close friend was “a truly great Australian who lived his values to the end”.

“He was anational treasureinevery sense of the wordand Iconsider myself fortunate to have known him as amate and political confidante over many years,”MrR yan said.

“He was a selfless, humble man whose many talents enabled him to rise to the highest ranks of the political hierarchy of Australia. He was achampion of the National Party.

“His care for and respect of the Members of the Party was renowned and his reputation for excellence in the discharge of his Ministerial responsibilitieswas unsurpassed. To the end Peter was as astute in his knowledge and judgment of Australian politics as was the case in his heyday. He will be sorely missed.”

While serving under five for mer Prime Ministers, Mr Nixon followed the fortunes of Tigerland from within the inner sanctum, always having the ear and respect of powerbrokers Graeme Richmond, Alan Schwab, and Ian Wilson.

“I’ve said privately and publicly, Peter Nixonisthe wisest man Iknow,” Wilson said in 2012.

“Pete’s been a super bloke to this football club. He’s been a hell of a help and a great mentor to me when Iwas president.”

Asearchacrossthe Richmond archive shows his name popping up everywhere–in annual reports, minute books,coterie

listings, Tommy Hafey Club functions, as aguest at annual meetings, and on the donors’ boardshowing significant financial contributors to the Jack Dyer Foundation. He was aspecial guest at the infamous 1987 AGM with Alan Bond as president. Mr Nixon went to Wesley College where heplayed football on aSaturday morning beforeheading offtoaleague match.

“It wastwo penceon the bus. We cameto Punt Road. And one day Jack Dyer took the three of us, wewerestanding in the corner of the race, and he took us into the room and the three of us remained Richmond for the rest of our lives,” Mr Nixon said.

Twenty-six days after theT igers' drought breaking premiership in 1967, Nixon was asked during The House of Representatives sitting, 'Is the Minister for the Interior aware that recently two honourable members have been attacked by marauding magpies in the vicinity of Parliament House?'

Hisresponse: “asa supporter of the Richmond Football Club, which won this year'sMelbour ne pr emiership,Ihave frequentlybeenattacked by acertain Magpie supporter who sits in acorner of thischamber”,was alovelybit of wordplay, butalsothe first time thephrase “Richmond Football Club” was entered into the esteemed Hansardtranscripts for aquestion without notice.

In 1981 he was appointeda Premier Patron of the Richmond Football Club, a position he held until his death, and from 1995-2004, was aconsultant for the board.

Orbost-born, PeterNixon is being remembered as one of the most substantial MPsofhis generation. Photos: Contributed

Peter Nixon wasagiant of The National Party,and served as Member for Gippsland for morethan 20 years.

Yettocall stumps

Liam DURKIN

THE oldest man in the state, and therefore, oldestlivingpastplayer ofthe Trafalgar Cricket Club, was back in town last month

Reverend BillMorgan, who tur ns 110 in October,returned to the club wherehe played in the late 1940s and 1950s.

Trafalgarwas one ofmany ministerial appointments for the Uniting Chur ch Reverend, in alife certainly well-lived.

Though wheelchair -bound and legally bli nd ,t he R ev e re nd 's re ca ll is stil l remarkable.

He was able to reel offanumber of players from his Trafalgar days, including Lester Tatterson, Bob Trail, thecharismatic Dr BillFerguson, and the legendaryRankin brothers, Alan and Laurie.

Rev Morgan also played football for Trafalgar, and fondly remembers the coaching of the great Clarrie Swenson.

He recounted the time someone from the club quippedat his ability to kick proficiently withbothfeet,towhich the Reverenced replied he could do so "one at atime".

The Reverend was given atour of the TrafalgarCricket Club clubrooms, and overlooked the oval, still located in the same spot as it was when he played.

As he recalled,the wicket was mathoid back then.

Rev Morgan played in two premierships for the Ships, in 1949/50 and 1950/51.

Retrospective premiership pennants hang in the TrafalgarCricketClub clubrooms, and the Reverend hadhis photo taken with them last Thursday.

An accomplished bat, Rev Morgan's highest AGrade scorewas 134 againstWarragul Blues in 1951.

Rev Morgan rated Ta tterson as the greatest cricketer he played with, and still

remembered him taking all 10 wickets in the 1949/50 Grand Final.

"Whenhehad eight, one or two were playing dead. It was too gooda chase to let go," he joked.

Another funny story involved the Reverend and Tatterson when it came to running between wickets.

"He could get up and downthe wicket twice as fast as Icould," Rev Morgan said.

"I admitted it, and he understood it. So when he hit aball towardthe boundary, he would say three and we'd take three. I'm told his mother was there oneday watching and said "that lazy bastardMorgan won't run!"

Rev Morgan was also secretary of the club, but admitted it was "no work in those days".

"I think we had two committee meetings in the whole time Iwas there," he told this reporter when interviewed after his 100th birthday close to 10 years ago.

"If we had 10 people watching acricket game that was abig crowd."

Not much has changed at all.

Bowling club honour

Blake METCALF-HOLT

MORWELL Bowling Club wererecipients of the Club of the Year award(4+ employees)atthe Bowls Victoria2023/24 Awards Night.

Held at the Mulgrave Country Club, Morwell Bowling Club was nominated alongside Deer Park Club, recognising the significant contribution made to the growth of bowls inthe state whether through the running of Bowls Victoria events or the implementation of initiatives during the calendar year

Morwell Bowling Club had previously ranprograms like BowlsGr8 for Brains alongside Invictus Victoria, and hosted days during the Bowls Victoria Open in Gippsland.

"It was abit surreal really because we wereup against the Deer Park Club, who areapretty amazing club, and the fact that we won against them was pretty impressive," MorwellBowling Club General Manager,Teena Johnson said.

"In the 113years, we've never won that award, so it was quite outstanding."

The club has beenonastrong road back to recovery after the tragic firethat ravaged theestablishmentinAugust last year -reopening just afew months later on Christmas Eve.

"It's just arecognition of all the hard work that was put in to getting us reopen and the communitysupport, our members, ourbowlers, the customersthat walked through the door every day, and then the outstanding support from our staffand the boardmembers as well," Johnson said of the accolade.

"Wewouldn't be able to open without (all of) their support and be able to do what wedo withoutthem being here every day.

"Tobeable to reopen after the firein August, it took an ar my of people to get to where we were able to open on Christmas Eve last year

"From the local trades to the insurance company, to the builders to community support to get behind us. Also, the support from the staff, once we wereable to start rebuilding, they werecoming in and helping out."

Bowls competition also re-emerged at the club at the same time, and during the period wherethe greens weren't able to be used,neighbouring bowls club lent their support and offered their grounds for the local bowlerstocontinue playing. Other awards handed out during the Bowls Victoria 2023/24 Awards Night included the Lightning (Female) Bowler of the Year bestowed to Clayton Bowls Club's Lisa Phillips (from YallournNorth) and Warragul's Samantha Atkinson recognisedasFemale Bowler of the Year

Morwell Bowling Club General Manager, Teena Johnson with the Bowls Victoria Club of the Year award. Photo: Contributed

Trafalgar Cricket Club’s oldest living past player, Reverend Bill Morgan, still going at age109.

Photo: Liam Durkin