THE Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) has congratulated the Labor party on its landslide State election win, but is wary the new government might not understand the needs of rural voters as well as the Coalition.
“The new Labor Government will probably be a little more of a challenge to work with because the Coalition probably understood rural issues more,” VFF president Peter Tuohey said.
Labor’s policies in the lead up to the election were more city-based and the VFF will have to do a lot of work to get the new government to understand key issues such as rail and road infrastructure, energy costs to farmers and processors, and supporting business growth in regional and rural areas, he said.
Labor has announced road infrastructure funding, including a promise to spend $1 billion over eight years for country roads, but must also understand the importance of rural and regional rail upgrade, including a standardisation of lines to reduce freight costs, Mr Tuohey said.
“Hopefully Daniel Andrews and his Labor government will be open to common sense discussions about issues affecting farmers.”
The VFF also plans to hold the Labor party to account on the key election promises that will benefit rural and regional Victoria, including the introduction of an inflation cap on council rate rises $20 million for its Food Source Victoria Plan, $7.8 million for a new Food and Fibre Centre at Bendigo TAFE and $4 million over four years to save the National Centre for Farmer Health and $125,000 to a Young Farmer Scholarship program.
Labor’s $500 million regional development fund is similar to the Coalition’s Regional Growth Fund, although the VFF will have to work with the new government to ensure funding is given to the “right” areas to develop business in regional and rural Victoria, away from the major centres, Mr Tuohey said.
“Processing and intensive farming operations away from major regional centres could provide an enormous boost to rural towns that are struggling, for example Mildura,” he said.
He would also like the new government to do as the Coalition committed during the election, and ensure a Parliamentary Inquiry into grain marketer insolvencies is held to save growers from the repeat the kinds of losses suffered in recent years.
Mr Tuohey said the Coalition, particularly its Nationals members, were caught unawares by the size of the slide against them, including in Shepparton.
Although thousands of pre-poll votes are yet to be counted, the Nationals appear to have lost the seat of Shepparton, which it has held for 47 years, to rural independent Suzanna Sheed after suffering a 32.5 per cent swing.
“It’s a concern about Shepparton because the State Government has done a lot of work to support SPC Ardmona but I think the Federal Government had quite a bit of influence on the outcome; because the Federal Government wouldn’t provide funding to save SPC it seems they (voters) have taken it out on the State candidate,” he said.
“I think the majority of the damage was sue to the impact of the Federal Government and people’s perception that the State Coalition was going down the same path as the Federal Coalition and not understanding average people’s wages, costs and concerns.”
The VFF is also looking closely at the make-up of Victoria’s upper house, which looks to be dominated by independents and minor parties, including the Greens and the Shooters Party.
“The Greens oppose the sale of the Port of Melbourne, which could be a major source of funding for the rail upgrade; so it could be a very frustrated government if policies pass the lower house controlled by Labor and then stall in the upper house,” Mr Tuohey said.
