Palmwoods
District News

April 22,
1999

Page 3

Consumers urged to buy local milk
Local Member calls in people power

IN a bid to save thousands of the state’s dairy farmers from ruin, Member for Nicklin Peter Wellington has urged all Queenslanders to buy only local milk.

Mr Wellington said People Power could save the State’s dairy industry which faces attack from cheap southern milk since de-regulation of the dairy industry was introduced on 1 January 1999.

"Queensland’s dairy industry is under threat from down south. Many of our farmers are facing ruin and the state government cannot do a thing about it. Under the constitution we cannot stop free trade between the states," he said.

Mr Wellington said that many dairy farmers from his own electorate Nicklin could face financial ruin if cheap southern milk flooded the market.

"We may not be able to stop them from bringing milk across the State border but we can send a clear message that it is not welcome, by not buying it."

"We must not let this happen," he said. "We saw what happened to the pork industry when cheap Canadian pork flooded the markets and it is not only the farmers who suffer.

" When that farm gate closes as farmers walk off their land, whole towns die, jobs vanish and the state suffers a massive blow."

However, Grant Podmore, owner of a Dairy Farmers franchise, operating from Caloundra and distributing dairy products throughout the Sunshine Coast, says that de-regulation has some benefits for consumers.

"Consumers now have a choice about which product they wish to purchase, whereas before de-regulation they were only presented with one product," he said.

"De-regulation allows both dairy distributors, Dairy Farmers and Paul’s, the chance to expand their market share and brings more true competition into the market place."

Mr Podmore said that consumers currently purchasing either Dairy Farmers or Paul’s milk are supporting their local farmers.

He said that with the increased population growth in south-east Queensland that farmers will still have a market for their product, despite de-regulation.

Mr Podmore also points out that Dairy Farmers is a wholly owned Australian company, whereas some of their competitors are internationally owned.

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