Drought-ridden King Island farmers will finally have stock feed delivered after the state government sidestepped a Victorian council that refused to have it shipped from a port it manages.
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After hitting a snag with the Colac Otway Shire Council, the state government on May 5 announced Port Welshpool operator Gippsland Ports would help bring hundreds of hay bales to King Island.
"This is an extremely pleasing result for our farmers, and I extend my sincere thanks to the Port Welshpool community for working with my government to deliver for King Island," Premier Jeremy Rockliff said.
"We have been working around the clock to find a resolution for our farmers after the Colac Otway Shire Council pulled out of talks earlier this week.
"Unfortunately, the decision of the Colac council has added additional time and cost to what should have been a simple task, but a commitment to helping our farmers from both Tasmania and the mainland has seen us come to a good solution.
"Hard working Victorian volunteers working with Need for Feed will now deliver the feed from northern Victoria to Port Welshpool for shipping to the island and we appreciate the efforts they have been putting in to help our farmers."
The Colac Otway Shire Council recently said it supported the bid to find transport options to deliver the feed to King Island, but it could not support a request to ship the freight from the Port of Apollo Bay.
"The Port of Apollo Bay is a local port and not a commercial trading port," council chief executive Anne Howard said.
"Council has received an independent engineering report that has assessed that freight movements of this scale present risks to the port's infrastructure and operations.
"Colac Otway Shire Council, as the port manager, and the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning, as the port owner, have determined that until those risks are resolved it is not appropriate to approve the movement of this freight at this time, especially while viable options are available."
TasFarmers president Ian Sauer recently said King Island farmers were experiencing some of the worst dry conditions in the last 100 years.
On May 5, he commended the government and Victorian farmers for their support and slammed the Colac Otway Shire Council.
"It's outrageous that it has come to this, but this news will give some confidence to King Island farmers and the Lions Club charity Need for Feed, who have been advocating for much-needed fodder from Apollo Bay," Mr Sauer said.
"If the shire truly cared for our country and its farmers, and acted as responsible corporate citizens, we wouldn't be in this situation.
"They should feel ashamed, and the nation should be appalled by this injustice."
Mr Rockliff said the first shipment of hay was expected to leave Port Welshpool next week.
Primary Industries Minister Jane Howlett said the government valued the contribution the King Island farmers made to the state and was "standing by their side to get through these difficult times".
"We know rural communities across the state are doing it tough, which is why we established drought support for farmers in March," Ms Howlett said.
"Farmers have already received a total of $1.5 million in drought payments so far, with grants open until June 30."
Sean Ford
The Advocate Newspaper, Tasmania. Business, economics, politics, crime.
The Advocate Newspaper, Tasmania. Business, economics, politics, crime.
