Huge increases to the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund, crumbling regional roads, maintaining our biosecurity and forcing renewable energy infrastructure developments on communities top the list of concerns in the Victorian Farmers Federation’s (VFF) inaugural State of the State: Victorian Farmer Priorities Survey. More than 700 Victorian farmers also outlined their lack of trust in the Victorian Government, with nine in 10 saying they don’t believe the state government understands their issues or has a positive plan to grow the $20 billion dollar industry. VFF president Brett Hosking said the frank results should ring alarm bells for the Victorian government and be a ‘wake up’ call for genuine engagement and discussion with farmers and rural communities. “Farmers and our regional communities have sent a blunt message that they aren’t being listened to and have lost faith that our Victorian Government has their back.” “From massive increases to the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund, roads literally falling apart and communities being steamrolled in the face of renewable energy infrastructure, farmers have a lot to worry about. “More than 92 per cent of farmers don’t believe the Victorian government understands or is even listening to the concerns of farming communities,” Mr Hosking said. "That’s a massive indictment and it must change, because they’ve lost the trust of these farming communities." Despite the blunt results of the survey, Mr Hosking said there remains considerable opportunity and a bright outlook for Victorian agriculture. “Victorian farmers are the best in the nation at what they do," he said. "We produce 25 per cent of Australia’s food and fibre value using just three per cent of Australia’s farmland. "We employ more than 150,000 people and contribute more than $20 billion to Victoria’s and Australia’s economy. “When we have the nation’s best farmers working on the nation’s best farmland, imagine what we could achieve if our Victorian and Australian governments supported our farmers to achieve even more. “We’re just over 12 months from the next state election. "We want to support all sides of politics to get solutions to these issues and grow Victoria’s farming future.” A Victorian government spokesperson said the government was focused on what matters most to rural and regional Victorians because it is on their side. "We've invested more than $47 billion in rural and regional Victoria and we'll continue to invest in projects that make regional Victoria a great place to live, work and raise a family," the spokesperson said. "Our Drought Response Taskforce heard directly from farmers and regional communities across Victoria to make sure their voices shape the support they need to get through tough times, we are backing farmers with a $144 million drought package to support communities." Check the VFF website for the full State of the State: Victorian Farmer Priorities Survey report.
