A FUNDING promise for Narracan Landcare groups from Liberal MP Gary Blackwood has hit a nerve with a Labor upper house candidate.
Earlier this month Mr Blackwood announced Landcare groups including Drouin, Jindivick, Lardner and District, Neerim and Dristrict and Labertouche would receive $15,000 each from a pool of over $192,000 for Narracan Landcare if the coalition remains in power after tomorrow’s election.
ADVERTISEMENT
But Labor Eastern Victoria candidate John Anderson said, while he welcomed the promised cash, it was no compensation for funding removed by the federal Liberal government.
“It hardly compensates for the $450 million that the feds ripped out of Landcare,” he told the Warragul & Baw Baw Citizen.
“Landcare’s a terrific movement, I’ve been involved in it for 20 years and the work it has done around Gippsland is so valuable.
“To have that amount of funding reduced by the feds and just replaced with a token gesture, I mean I welcome $192,000, but it’s not going to replace the impact that the federal cuts have had on Landcare.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Victorian Minister for Environment and Climate Change Ryan Smith said in a media release: “in 2010, the Victorian Coalition made a commitment to support Victorian Landcare groups well into the future.”
“Today, we continue to deliver on this commitment.
“The Napthine coalition is dedicated to working with local groups to achieve the best outcomes for the land.”
Mr Anderson also said he “was very very disappointed with Napthine’s environmental record for many reasons.”
“He made it impossible to get approval for wind farms, removed the 20 per cent emissions reduction target from the climate change act [and more].”
Has anyone checked that all those landcare groups actually exist?
In the light of this revelation:
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/victoria-state-election-2014/victorian-election-2014-government-awards-grants-to-environment-groups-that-dont-exist-20141125-11ts1n.html