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Labor Fails Own Test On WeedsThe Bracks Government is prosecuting farmers for failing to combat weeds on their properties while it hypocritically stands back and as does nothing to address the massive weed problem on Crown Land. By Philip Davis - 20th April 2005 - Back to News Shadow Minister for Agriculture Philip Davis said it was a disgrace that in the case of a 70-year-old man who spent $50,000 and 770 hours hand-spraying weeds on his land, he was still prosecuted by the Department of Primary Industries for failing to eradicate weeds on his property by a particular deadline.
"No-one is denying the importance of eradicating noxious weeds on private land, it is vital for the future conservation of our land and also agricultural productivity," Mr Davis said.
"But this prosecution and many more like it are pure arrogance on the part of the Bracks Government, because Labor itself has a track record of failing to eradicate noxious weeds on Crown Land.
"It’s a case of ‘do as I say, not do as I do’ – it’s hypocritical and unfair.
"Under the Catchment and Land Management Act 1994, both public and private landholders must prevent the growth of noxious weeds.
"But the current structure of compliance allows the Bracks Government departments to regulate themselves – Labor is responsible for monitoring its own compliance and it has failed.
"The Bracks Government is not being held to account for its own careless land management processes while other people trying to do the right thing are dragged through the courts."
Mr Davis said the double standard needed to be rectified and the Bracks Government must take responsibility for its own weed management.
"The Liberal Party launched a policy last year which would overhaul the weed management compliance system," he said.
"An independent government agency which is not a public land manager, should be responsible for compliance and treat private and public land managers equally.
"A Liberal Government will implement this change, seeking input from a range of sources including farmers, the Victorian Farmers Federation, environment groups and local government.
"Just as private landholders are responsible for the sustainability of their own land, the Bracks Government must begin to take notice of its own responsibility to keep our Crown Land sustainable into the future."
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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