NORTH EAST AND GOULBURN MURRAY
Part of the Farmer Group Rural Newspapers Covering Victoria Published since 1984
37 Rowan Street, Wangaratta 3677
AUGUST, 2015
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Lack of rail funding in Ag white paper thrown a lifeline $200m windfall if Port of Melbourne deal gets done, but not everyone happy
DAIRY HEALTH:
Women in dairy, including Eskdale dairy farmer Karen Maroney, are throwing their support behind this month’s Healthy Bones Action Week. The awareness week is all about encouraging women to take three simple steps to protect their bones by consuming more milk, cheese and yoghurt for calcium, undertake weightbearing exercise and get safe sunshine for Vitamin D. As important as it is for women’s bone health, dairy production is also a key economic driver for the Murray dairy region, making it all the more important for locals to get behind this health week and show their support for local dairy producers and Australia’s legendairy industry.
EXACTLY one month after the release of the Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper that did not allocate any funding for key infrastructure issues relating to rail and freight, the State Government has promised to commit $200 million to rural infrastructure. The State Government announced it would establish a $200 million Agriculture Infrastructure and Jobs Fund using revenue from selling a long-term lease on the Port of Melbourne contingent on the Bill being passed by Parliament. Victorian Farmers Federation president Peter Tuohey said the government had listened and delivered on the lobby group’s call for a fair share of the estimated $6 billion in revenue from leasing the port to be re-invested in rural infrastructure.
BY JODIE FLEMING
jfleming@ nemedia.com.au
“We’re also expecting the government to announce a further commitment to upgrade and standardise the Mildura rail freight line and its feeders,” he said. The VFF, alongside other farming stakeholders, have repeatedly argued that given the port was built on food and fibre exports, a fair share of the port revenue must go back to boosting rural infrastructure. The VFF has raised concerns with the government on ensuring the sale of the port lease delivers equity, access and above all competitive pricing for food and fi bre exporters. Continued page 4
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