Ted Baillieu and Peter Ryan’s decision to close Camperdown’s DPI office and sack seven Camperdown DPI workers is a huge blow to the Camperdown community Member for Western Victoria, Gayle Tierney said today.
“Camperdown district farmers, Landcare groups and community weed groups have an excellent working relationship with their local DPI office and value the local expertise of its staff and the office closure will be felt throughout the whole communtiy.
“The local Camperdown DPI is often the first point of contact for many farmers and community groups.
“Ted Baillieu and Peter Ryan have ripped this important resource away with their savage cuts to DPI across the state.
“Ted Baillieu has closed regional DPI offices, consolidated regional DPI workers, slashed regional TAFE funding, failed to fund the National Centre for Farmer Health in Hamilton and ripped $205 million out of the Future Farming Strategy.
“These are decisions from a government that clearly does not care for rural and regional Victoria.
“Under the Baillieu Government, just about every regional community in Victoria has experienced job losses.
“In total, 112 DPI workers have been affected by the Government’s decision to slash DPI funding and well as the communities of the DPI offices set to close.
“Mr Baillieu believes spending millions on TV ads is all that’s needed to get people to move to regional Victoria.
“What rural and regional Victorians want is job security, investment in infrastructure, investment in educational opportunities and a government that understands the needs of their communities.
“It’s little wonder why regional Victoria is going backwards under this Government,” Ms Tierney said.