N.S.W. wheatgrowers face ‘exorbitant’ costs

Press, 11 October 1985, Page 22

N.S.W. wheatgrowers face ‘exorbitant’ costs

NZPA-AAP Sydney Wheatgrowers in New South Wales will be lucky to break even this year after the state Government's failure to provide relief from taxes and charges, according to the state’s National Party leader, Mr Wai Murray. Mr Murray said that the state Government had made no attempt to reduce “exorbitant” freight and port charges to wheat producers in last month’s Budget. Taxes and charges had increased 224 per cent under the Wran Government, he said, while inflation ran at 119 per cent in the same nine-year period.

“The failure to protect our vital primary industries underlines Labour’s inherent lack of recognition of the rural sector being the mainstay of the economy,” Mr Murray said. “The fact that the Budget allocates only 5.6 per cent of its total sAustB billion ($l4 billion) Budget to agriculture is a true indication j of the importance this Government places on the rural sector.” Wheatgrowers would have to have everything in their favour — no crop damage, no strikes, and no unforeseen financial extras — to break even on this year’s crop, Mr Murray said.