The disconnect
I am appalled at the publication of a nonsense report by Alex Druce in your paper on July 21 regarding the claim by the city based Wentworth group of tree huggers and extreme greens and the Nature Conservation Council (made up of the same nonsensical people) that revegetation is of more value to commercial farmland than improved pasture.
Try fattening bullocks on Blady Grass. The monoculture pine forests that failed some years ago were a Canberra/city based tax-investment scheme. There is clear evidence on private land along the Barrington Tops of such schemes being bulldozed and returned to improved pasture for beef-fattening purposes.
As The Land says in the same edition, our urban dwellers are too far from reality: “Urban populations are more and more disconnected about the realities of agriculture and agriculture productive systems”.
This disconnection has infiltrated Baird’s appointment procedure to rural boards and committees.
The Local Land Service has connections to the city centric Liberal party.
I asked LLS to do a display at this year’s Gloucester Show for commercial farmers and was told the LLS policy emphasis is now on the lifestyle farmer.
The overlying policy of this board is to finance training for life style farmers.
The courses and seminars aimed at commercial agriculture are few and far between.
There was an excellent LLS seminar at Dungog recently on the aspect of prevailing weeds and how to deal with them, namely giant Parramatta grass, Coolatai grass etc.
Huge numbers of mostly commercial farmers attended. The Liberals lost country seats in the recent federal elections because they failed to represent our interests.
Baird, with his Liberal hat to the fore, has gone the same way with the racing dog industry as he has with his delayed repeal of the communist controls within the current Native Vegetation Act.
SUZANNE LANDERS,
‘Airlie’,
Rawdon Vale.
Smith Family thanks you
I AM writing to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to the community of New South Wales for their support of The Smith Family’s 2016 Winter Appeal.
We launched the appeal in May to raise $3.65 million by June 30 to support the education of disadvantaged children across Australia.
Our appeal highlighted the impact of severe financial disadvantage on the education of a child. For the 638,000 children living in jobless families across Australia, every day at school can be a struggle.
These children often miss out on excursions and camps, can feel isolated and alone, and are at risk of disengaging from learning. Without educational support and extra resources, they may never reach their potential or find a pathway out of poverty.
It is heartening that our call to “end poverty – one student at a time” through education resonated with so many people in the community, who responded with great generosity to our appeal. I would like to thank every individual who made a donation. Your support will allow us to provide out-of-school learning and mentoring programs to more than 9,000 disadvantaged children across Australia in terms three and four. Please know you are helping make a direct and lasting impact on the lives of disadvantaged children, helping them to thrive at school and to create a better future for themselves.
JACK MURPHY,
The Smith Family, NSW acting general manager.
Dangerous toxins
I AM now in my 57th year as a mulesing contractor (many millions mulesed) and have spent much time, money and effort promoting the Australian wool industry and the benefits of mulesing, which has been around for more than 60 years.
I am alarmed at what I see in the misuse and handling of pain relief, such as Trisolfen. This is not only a dangerous product, it is being used in a dangerous way.
I have learned, during the past 12 years, that trials on the long term dangers of workers deliberately exposed to the use of this chemical have never been done. There are serious warnings regarding the way it is sprayed. However, there appears a total disregard for clothing protection instructions on the product. I believe this could lead to health risks for operators and staff around the cradle. None of the work-safety institutions I have contacted have attempted to verify compliance with the instruction of its use and I have never seen anybody provide protection as it is spelled out on the product. While I believe the solution is through better husbandry practice, I still see failure by industry to adopt top surgical management of sheep practices which have already improved the health and welfare of lambs immensely. Over the period of 2003-16 I have attempted to highlight health and welfare of operators and stock.
I have challenged the industry to demonstrate its methods alongside top Western Australian contractors who have been at the forefront of considerable improvements in animal welfare with portable yards, surgical tailing, modern trailers and skilled techniques. I believe compliance with safety conditions in agriculture should in the very least be brought in line and breaches investigated to match other industries, such as mining. Mulesing was created to change the wool industry from a chemical-soaked product of wool and meat. Nobody should be able to force the use of dangerous substances. Anybody who believes they need to spray Trisolfen should employ a better contractor.
GEOFFREY BLIGHT,
Narrogin, WA.
