PASIN SPEAKS TO PETITION IN FEDERAL PARLIAMENT

Member for Barker, Tony Pasin MP, has drawn the attention of the House of Representatives to the petition signed by hundreds of people in support of the District Council of Grant’s funding application for the Mount Gambier and Districts Saleyards Transformation Project.

Mr Pasin reiterated the importance of the saleyard facility for the Limestone Coast community.

“The Mount Gambier saleyards gross more than $150 million in sales, selling approximately 85,000 head of sheep and 65,000 head of cattle per year. Every person living in and around Mount Gambier benefits from a successful day at the saleyards in one form or another,” Mr Pasin said. 

“Whether you're directly employed in agriculture or not, when you live in a region like the Limestone Coast, infrastructure that supports our farmers to do business supports the entire population.”

“The Australian agricultural industry is one of the most innovative and resilient in the world, but if we want to exceed $100 billion in farmgate output by 2030 we need to see more support.”

“The Mount Gambier and District Saleyards, a community owned and operated facility, has sought federal government funding support to undertake these once-in-a-generation upgrades that are essential for the long-term sustainability of the facility—a facility that means so much both economically and socially,” Mr Pasin said.

The District Council of Grant applied for 50 per cent of the project costs in the first round of the Albanese Labor Government’s Growing Regions Fund but was unsuccessful.

Mr Pasin said Labor rejected the project despite allocating only $206 million of the available $300 million.

“In a kick to the guts of farmers in my electorate, this project was rejected whilst Labor retained $93.4 million of that fund, unspent.”

Council has now re-applied under Round 2 of the Growing Regions Fund.

Mr Pasin has urged the Federal Government to do the right thing and fund the saleyards project.