NATIONALS Member for the South West Region Colin Holt MLC is urging dairy processors
to work with the State and Federal Agriculture Ministers to deliver a swift resolution to the South West dairy crisis and ensure that WA has a stable fresh milk supply into the future. “At present WA’s milk production is up, and three dairy farmers have had their supply contracts discontinued by processor Brownes, and yet Brownes have now conceded that a shortage of supply will leave them unable to provide milk to two local cheese makers from January” Mr Holt said. “Urgent action is needed to prevent more dairy farmers being forced to leave the industry . We must develop different industry options to keep them in production in the long term ”. Mr Holt said the big supermarkets could play a major role in industry sustainability by stocking WA made cheese and scrapping $1 litre discount milk. Mr Holt said that through the supermarket chains, Western Australia is importing 300 million litres of milk as cheese. “We pay the same price for the Eastern States cheese here as they do in Melbourne, so Coles and Woolworths are subsidising that cheese transport”. “If we could make just 10 percent of the cheese here in Brunswick Junction, rather than importing product, we would not only keep dairy producers in business, but also grow the industry”. Mr Holt said it was incumbent on dairy processors to consider their product and marketing options and engage government to partner in industry investment.“ Funding should be considered on rock solid business cases that have a broader industry development outcome that provides resilience to the local industry”. Mr Holt said The Nationals WA recognise the implications of the current situation for the State’s food security. “If we don’t do something now, we’ll have more WA producers leaving the industry. We do not want to get to the stage where we are importing fresh milk into this state.” “To ensure WA consumers enjoy locally produced dairy products, we need to build resilience in our local dairy industry by developing the industry beyond its current parameters” For media enquiries please contact Office of Colin Holt MLC on (08) 9724 1181re to edit.
The Greenbushes Community Resource Centre provides programs and services to contribute to a vibrant community.
Funding for the next 3 years is being decided early in 2017 and we need your help to ensure the programs and services we offer meet the needs of the community. As a valued member of our community your input is valuable in helping us plan for the future. We appreciate you taking the time to complete this short survey. Each completed survey will go into the draw to win a $50 community voucher. Member for Warren-Blackwood, Terry Redman welcomed the launch of the new Emergency WA website which delivers fast, clear and consistent information during bushfires and other emergencies.
Mr Redman said the new $2.8 million website reflects the Liberal National State Government’s commitment to providing the community with accurate and timely information during emergencies. “I have already found the website useful to find out if smoke in the area is from a prescribed burn or a bushfire,” Mr Redman said. “The multi-hazard Emergency WA website gives people better access to emergency information and critical community warnings, including map-based warning areas,” Mr Redman said. “The site also delivers a live feed of emergency incidents reported to the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES), meaning people will find out about a fire as soon as it is reported to triple zero.” Mr Redman said the Emergency WA website is a cornerstone of the ‘Are You Ready’ bushfire campaign that drives home the message that preparing for bushfires is a shared responsibility, and everyone needs to play their part. ‘Are You Ready’ is a unique collaboration across Government, with Western Power a major supporter as part of its strong commitment to bushfire preparedness and community safety. For the latest community warnings and information about how to prepare for bushfires visit emergency.wa.gov.au The Emergency WA website replaces the alert and warnings pages on the DFES and Parks and Wildlife websites and is integrated with information from the Bureau of Meteorology and Geoscience Australia. Residents from across regional WA can now see the Royalties for Regions projects transforming their communities, thanks to the launch of an online mapping application. Member for Warren-Blackwood, Terry Redman said the interactive online map, powered by Landgate, displays information about the 4,700 Royalties for Regions projects being delivered across regional WA.
“Royalties for Regions continues to build more vibrant and sustainable regional communities through investment into infrastructure, health, communications and tourism.”
Mr Redman encouraged Warren-Blackwood residents to utilise the new-cutting edge technology and find out about the investment in their town. “The RfR Investment Map provides Western Australians with the opportunity to see the difference Royalties for Regions is making through both large and small projects,” Mr Redman said. The information is delivered through the State Government’s unique Shared Location Information Platform (SLIP), which underpins the WA Whole-of-Government Open Data Policy. The RfR Investment Map is accessible via smartphone, tablet or computer by visiting http://rfrmap.drd.wa.gov.au A new brand promoting Western Australian produce to overseas export markets would put the State’s agrifood businesses on the world map, Member for Warren-Blackwood, Terry Redman said today.
Mr Redman welcomed the Liberal National Government’s Western Australia Worth Sharing brand campaign, which was launched by Premier Colin Barnett and Minister Redman today. Western Australia Worth Sharing is an $8.1 million, three-year funding initiative by Royalties for Regions through the $350 million Seizing the Opportunity Agriculture project. The Regional Wellbeing Survey’s mission is to support research that improves the wellbeing and quality of life of people living in rural and regional Australia. To achieve this, each year we ask people living across Australia to take part in our survey.
Click the picture to go to the survey page. |
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