SYKES – GOVERNMENT BILL TO DESTROY LIVESTOCK TRANSPORTERS

The Nationals Member for Benalla and bull breeder, Bill Sykes, has slammed the Bracks’ Government’s plans to set fees for livestock carriers and to entangle them in yet another maze of red tape.

Dr Sykes used the livestock transport industry to highlight the impracticality of the Government’s ‘Owner Drivers and Forestry Contractors Bill, when he debated it in Parliament recently.

Dr Sykes said, “The idea of the Bracks’ Government setting prices for the livestock transport industry is ridiculous and not necessary, nor is the introduction of compulsory contracts.

“I think it will be an amazingly complex formula… If the Minister and his merry men think they can sit down and do this cost-setting in an ivory tower…

“I take my hat off to the carriers for their ability to juggle numbers, it comes from experience.

“There is a myriad of different ways to make up a load of livestock, for example… My property is 5 minutes out of town, I might need to move one, five animals or fill a truck load…the farm down the road may be able to utilise the same vehicle… these things all affect the cost.

“If local people like the Staffords, the Siedes or the Dobsons are in the business for the long haul they get the job done right. If there is some form of disagreement or misunderstanding you sit down and you work it out. Invariably you are able to come to a solution because the business of transporting livestock in Victoria and throughout Australia is based on relationships. That has been developed over many years, and you cannot legislate for relationships, and you cannot legislate for effective functioning.

Dr Sykes also commended local general transport operators like the Symes family in Benalla whose business has now passed on to the second generation and Jack and Lorna Kibble of Euroa, who for many years operated the highly successful ‘Brady and Kibble Transport’ business.

“This is just another example of city bureaucrats making decisions from afar and failing to apply commonsense. Products do not just appear on shelves, this is everyone’s problem.

“The Nationals agree that transport operators and forestry contractors deserve a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work but this piece of legislation will not achieve that outcome. Instead the Bracks’ Government red tape will strangle yet another group of people endeavouring to earn an honest income.

Dr Sykes concluded, “The Nationals will continue to stand up for our local trucking operators and we strongly encourage operators to keep the pressure on the Government.

Media contact: Bill Sykes (03) 5762 2100 or 0427 624 989