FLINDERS FARMERS FACING STRANDED STOCK, AGAIN

Sturges Must Rule Out Re-Tendering Shipping Service on Same Basis and Investigate Other Options Now

www.tas.greens.org.au
The Tasmanian Greens today called on Infrastructure Minister Graeme Sturges to urgently investigate long term solutions for Flinders Island shipping, after Flinders’ farmers confirmed that the current shipping arrangements will lead to a repeat of last year’s situation, where stock were stranded on the Island during the busiest period of the year for farmers. [1]

Greens Member for Bass, Kim Booth MP, said the Minister Sturges is wholly responsible for the current shipping debacle which has left the Island communities with an unacceptable service provided by an operator who Islanders no longer trust or want, and the Minister must rule out re-tendering the service on the same basis as the current tender and instead urgently investigate all other options immediately instead of waiting another 18 months.

Mr Booth also said the only suitable stock transporter, the Matthew Flinders, is currently out of service, while Minister Sturges’ so-called contingency plan relies on a vessel that is unsuitable for transporting large quantities of stock, and the Minister has an obligation to investigate other options for a long-term solution to this problem, including the government funding the ownership of a suitable vessel themselves.

“Flinders Island farmers fear that they are heading straight back to the situation they faced last year, where thousands of stock were stranded on the Island and lost condition while the Bartlett Government simply turned their back and denied that any problem even existed,” said Mr Booth.

“Minister Sturges must rule out re-tendering the service on the same basis as the current tender, and immediately investigate all other options for a long-term solution to this ongoing problem, instead of waiting for 18 months while the Island communities continue to suffer.”

“Flinders Island, and the other Island communities, deserve better than an unacceptable shipping service provided by an operator who they no longer trust or want. Just what will it take before the Minister realises this?”

“The Greens are calling on Minister Sturges to investigate all other options for a long-term solution to this fiasco, and that includes a serious investigation of the benefits that may flow from government funding for an appropriate vessel that is capable of transporting large quantities of stock without injuring them,” said Mr Booth.

Reference:

[1] 15 October 2008, Media Release, “THOUSANDS OF STOCK STILL STRANDED ON FLINDERS ISLAND: Infrastructure Minister Fails Flinders’ Farmers,” Kim Booth MP,
http://mps.tas.greens.org.au/News/view_MR.php?id=3326

and,

24 September 2008, Media Release, “FLINDERS LIVESTOCK STRANDED: Government Must Get Involved to Leave Reliable Shipping Licences,” Kim Booth MP,
http://mps.tas.greens.org.au/News/view_MR.php?id=3289
Kim Booth MP Greens Member for Bass