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Aquaculture Association Cuts Back To Fight Bracks

A state-wide aquaculture association has vowed to pool its resources to fight the Bracks Government’s ridiculous licencing structure.

By Philip Davis - 17th February 2005 - Back to News

Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Philip Davis said today that the Victorian division of the Australian Freshwater Crayfish Growers Association (AFCGA) had been forced to cut back on its regular activities to fight the Bracks Government for a fair go.

"The AFCGA has been fighting Labor tooth and nail over unfair implementation of new fee structures and regulations, which have now taken their toll on the industry, growers and the association," Mr Davis said.

"During its annual meeting, the association voted to reduce the membership fees from $75 per year to $10.

"This cutback is to make it more affordable for growers, all of whose businesses have been severely financially impacted by the Bracks Government’s ridiculous regulations.

"But of course less money coming in means fewer resources to promote the industry."

Mr Davis said the AFCGA also voted to inform the Bracks Government that its members did not want any compulsory services from Fisheries Victoria for their fisheries licences.

"The industry has been under so much pressure these past 12 months, with many businesses being forced to the wall," Mr Davis said.

"These growers have done it tough in an industry that has been practically regulated out of existence.

"The growers believe they should be able to cut costs further by rejecting the compulsory services, reducing the cost of their licence to the cost of issue, about $27."

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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