Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to inform the House of proceedings which have happened recently in my electorate. We are still rebuilding from the floods. We are dealing with families who are still struggling to get paid out by insurance companies to this day. We are referring claims to the finance ombudsman, and Legal Aid are advising us that they are only experiencing a one in six change in determination from the insurance companies as a result of that external dispute resolution. However, as a community we will continue to rebuild and put our best foot forward.

On a lighter and good note I want to take this opportunity to commend the Lockyer Valley Regional Council, their mayor, Steve Jones, and all councillors on a magnificent piece of rebuilding initiative. It speaks to the council's ability that they were able to release a couple of hundred acres on top of some high ground and break it up into 90 house lots. More recently the council has conducted a land ballot swap. To people on the lower ground whose homes have been condemned or who are unable to rebuild because they are in low lying areas, the council have simply said: 'Go to the top of the hill and pick out a couple of blocks that you would like to put your preference on in the ballot. On 4 August come along and we will pull your name out of the hat and you'll end up with a block of land on the top of the hill. So, when your insurance company does pay, you can go and settle up there and know that you will be safe from future floods.' That is a great thing that they are doing in that community.

However, that is about the end of the good news stories in my electorate. I have 100 dairy farmers who are extremely concerned about investing confidently into their market with the continual pressures of the Coles and Woolworths milk pricing mechanisms and the 'Down, Down' campaign. They are unsure as to what their future holds. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge Dolores and Alan Stock, a couple of local dairy farmers in the Lockyer Valley area who do a great job in informing my office and updating us from a dairy perspective.

I would also like to bring to the attention of the House the concerns that my beetroot growers have. It may be unknown to the House that every single beetroot grower that used to produce for Golden Circle comes from either the Lockyer Valley or the Fassifern Valley, which are both horticultural valleys in my area. They now have 20,000 tonnes of beetroot and no market at Golden Circle to take their beetroot. Being a root crop they will probably switch to growing carrots. Whilst losing 20,000 tonnes of beetroot may not raise concerns, the concern for my growers is that dropping another 20,000 tonnes of carrots onto the market could potentially have an impact on the sensibility of the whole national carrot market. So there are some troubles ahead there. I would like to acknowledge Linton Brimblecombe who is working closely with a group of beetroot growers and Golden Circle in trying to work out a restructuring package, which I would trust that the federal government would assist with as well.

We have also had a number of outbreaks of the hendra virus in our area. It is a big horse area. You may remember the story the other day about Liz and Neil Fearon from near Boonah. The normal passage of the hendra virus is from bat to horse to human. For the first time the virus left that path and was picked up by a canine, Dusty the dog, a little two-year-old kelpie. The dog did not show signs of having the hendra virus but showed signs of building antibodies to the virus where on that very property they had put down three horses. We believe that that dog had a lot of research potential and ongoing benefits, but under the current biosecurity regulations in Queensland the dog's life was terminated. My heart goes out to the Fearon family in particular for losing not only three horses but also the family pet.

When you mix all that up with the carbon tax I just hope that I will be able to stand here in the near future and tell you a good story about my electorate.