We are constantly being told how authorities are looking after us but the difficulty in making ends meet is accelarating. 

Last month we received a $1200 rates notice from the unrepresentative and dysfunctional Local Land Services set up by bureaucrats for bureaucrats.  It was an insult to be asked to vote for a minority of Board members.  The 8 % voter turnout should be in the Guiness book of records,  something for the Minister to put in her propaganda leaflet.    A letter from my agent saying emergency National Livestock Identification Scheme tags will now cost $38.50 because 80 replacement tags were needed at our local saleyard the previous week.

With the Senate Inquiry into the Red Meat Industry Structure all scratching their heads, a  timely summary of the futility of Cattle Council by John Carter demands Government action.  Simply abolish them and their mates at Meat and Livestock Australia.

The suggestion that electronic tagging for sheep NLIS is still being considered is most disturbing.

Before the last election Minister Hodgkinson and Hon.  Duncan Gay were reported to promise a full review into whole National Livestock Identification Scheme.  Why hasn’t it  happened.?  Since the election the Minister supported the NSW Govt policy for the mob-based system for sheep.  A NSW Farmers survey of more than 500 producers resulted in a more than 93%  “NO”  to RFID for sheep.     

The Minister has had first hand experience with intransigent bureaucratic extravagance when dealing with Ovine Johnnes Disease.   One can only conclude the bureauracy is in control of NLIS policy.

To justify the introduction of NLIS, NSW  Dept Primary Industry staff explained for the Scheme to have any credibility every tag needed to be accounted for.  Everybody knows NLIS is simply nonsense based on fantasy.  80 cattle per week at our local saleyard with emergency tags and impossible to verify which cattle have lost tags and been replaced with breeder tags. Not one carcase has been identified and isolated because of non compliance with NLIS.  To continue with this scheme is fraud and any commercial operator making such false claims about whole of life tracability should be prosecuted.

Minister Hodgkinson has an opportunity to correct this nonsense and abandon the NLIS.  With Regards,