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Country Victorians Urged To Support Rally Tomorrow

All Victorians will tomorrow have the opportunity to send a message to Premier Steve Bracks that they will no longer tolerate his government’s bullying tactics.

By Philip Davis - 8th June 2005 - Back to News

Shadow Minister for Country Victoria Philip Davis encouraged people and groups interested in public land management and country communities to join the Country Voice rally tomorrow from the MCG at 11am and culminating on the steps of Parliament House around noon.

The Mountain Cattlemen’s Association of Victoria will lead the rally with up to 300 horses in protest to the Bracks Government’s decision to ban grazing in the high country, extinguishing their 170-year history.

But many public land user groups, farmers, timber communities, sporting shooters, trail riders, deer hunters, four-wheel-drivers, prospectors and miners, field and game, bush user groups and country Victorians who have been poorly treated by the Bracks Government will also participate.

Mr Davis said the Country Voice rally was about a lot more than the mountain cattlemen issue.

"The Bracks Government’s moves to kick the mountain cattlemen out of the high country is just the latest in a whole series of Bracks Government decisions that have devastated country Victoria in recent years," Mr Davis said.

"Whether it is the communities of Dutson Downs, Pittong, Violet Town, Ouyen or Mildura who have been threatened with toxic waste dumps or those communities throughout the state who have had their farm landscapes blighted with unwanted wind farms – they have all been mistreated by the Bracks Government.

"Timber communities have been devastated by changes to tendering processes, the yet to be delivered fast rail project has turned into a joke and no country towns have been connected to reticulated natural gas as promised.

"Never-ending red tape has strangled small businesses, farmers, primary industries and volunteers working with children, while feral animals and weeds have been allowed to over-run our public land.

"Country Victoria is in drought yet farmers have received nothing but lip service from the Bracks Government and now our high country farmers are having their traditional land snatched away from them."

Mr Davis encouraged anyone who believes in the future of country Victoria to join the Country Voice rally tomorrow and show their support.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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