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Cameron Red Faced Over Aquaculture Licence GaffeLabor’s Agriculture Minister Bob Cameron has today been left red-faced by his lack of knowledge of his own portfolio responsibilities. By Philip Davis - 1st February 2005 - Back to News Shadow Minister for Agriculture Philip Davis said the Minister was recently quoted in the media saying that those in Victoria’s aquaculture industry were only required to pay $127 in licence fees to Fisheries Victoria.
"NSW growers pay $508 a year for the State Government component of an aquaculture fee. For those who need an aquaculture licence in Victoria, the corresponding amount is $127." – Agriculture Minister Bob Cameron, the Weekly Times, 24 November 2004.
But with the licence fees due today, those still in the aquaculture industry who have survived Bob Cameron’s attempts to regulate them out of existence have found themselves embarrassed after taking the Minister’s advice, Mr Davis said.
"After listening to the advice from the Minister about the price of their fees, growers sent their cheques for $127 to Fisheries Victoria for their licence renewal," he said.
"But what has happened since was entirely predictable – the farmers have been notified that the $127 will not cover the fees outstanding and they are now obliged to cough up several more hundred dollars more, depending on their licence.
"Fisheries Victoria levies have skyrocketed to between $250 and $2000 and as a result, the number of licences issued last year plummeted from 300 to 100.
"These licence fees are in addition to the extraordinary costs for being registered with PrimeSafe for seafood safety.
"The Victorian Aquaculture Council and those in the industry have been telling Bob Cameron the facts about how much the new regulations are actually costing them, but he has continually refused to listen.
"It has now got to the ridiculous stage and Bob Cameron now has to admit he has no idea what he is talking about."
Mr Davis said a handful of growers had written back to Fisheries Victoria asking for further information as to why their licence fees were considerably higher than those quoted by the Minister in the media on a number of occasions during the past few months.
That information has not been forthcoming and the final licence payments are due today.
"Some growers have not only received confusing and conflicting information from the Minister, but also Fisheries Victoria whose sloppy administration has resulted in bills being sent out for multiwaters licences when they are no longer required," he said.
"The aquaculture industry has suffered long enough under the ignorance of the Bob Cameron, who clearly does not understand the industry or the issues that affect production in this state."
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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