Blunt message from farmers

Across the state, 1089 farmers outlined their top concerns as the road and freight network, new taxes and regulations, the emergency services levy, transmission projects and the renewable energy transition.

VFF president Ryan Milgate said the results provided a sobering snapshot of regional Victoria, with feedback closely mirroring the scathing results gathered last year.

“More than a year since we asked regional Victorians if they felt they mattered, the needle has barely moved,” he said.

“Nine in 10 farmers still don’t believe the Victorian Government understands local issues or has a positive plan to grow the industry.

“With under 100 days until we head to the polls, that should set off alarm bells for the government and serve as a stark wake-up call to all sides of politics.

“Regional Victorians have once again sent a blunt message. Our roads are stuffed, we’re sick of being ripped off by grossly unfair tax-grabs, protecting irreplaceable farmland matters and surging energy costs are making it harder and harder to make ends meet.

“These findings highlight the simmering sentiment in the bush. People don’t feel like they are being listened to or that they matter.”

Surging up the ranks this year to be the number one issue among farmers and regional Victorians was the state of country roads.

“The biggest concern from farmers and regional Victorians is the absolute shocking state of our country roads. Some of them are literally death traps,” Mr Milgate said.

Violet Town wool grower Simon Riddle put the poor state of the roads at the top of his list.

“When you see cars blowing tyres on freeways because of the potholes, you know something’s wrong.” he said.

“It’s dangerous for both cars and trucks carrying freight.”

He also raised questions about the way government developed plans for renewable energy.

“It seems as though the solar farms are going in, when they haven’t sorted out the transmission lines,” he said.

“In the meantime you’re losing productive land.”

Mr Riddle said there was some frustration for farmers who volunteered to fight fires and had to contribute to the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund.

Cropping farmer Cherie Freeman, who runs an operation near Corop with her husband, Andrew, said the results of the survey were unsurprising.

“The roads are horrific, they’re really bad,” Ms Freeman said.

“(The government and council) is wasting our money, and they’re not getting very far.”

Ms Freeman said she felt neglected, and wanted to see more common-sense decision-making and decisive action, even if it wasn’t popular.

“A lot of (bureaucrats) don’t have the capabilities or knowledge to make decisions,” she said.

“It should be a prerequisite that they have to know about the area of the decision they’re making, and I just don’t know if that can change because people have to understand and want to learn.”