Unnecessary and anticompetitive restrictions

Letter sent to Tasmanian Country

25th August 2008

TFGA wool council’s latest desperate outburst in last week’s Your Say section, with its scurrilous attack on DPIW personnel who cannot defend themselves publicly, was unwarranted but predictable. The only thing that “...beggars belief …” is how the writer could conclude that “the only practical way” to protect Tasmania’s wool industry was to target 4 sheep breeds out of more than 40 in use in Australia. Nope, I’m wrong, how this atrocious piece of ‘exotic’ legislation ever saw the light of day in the first place also beggars belief.

With this precedent set perhaps TFGA meat council might now ask for Lowline cattle breeders to be regulated out of existence, or Angora goat breeders could suggest having Boer goats in the State will threaten the quality of Tasmanian Mohair.

DPIW’s summary of the 60 page EC573 Final Report and its 68 page Appendix was balanced and I seriously doubt the author referred to in TFGA’s letter, would find much wrong with the conclusions reached beyond nitpicking.

Nevertheless Premier David Barlett’s commitment to open and transparent governance already has a head start with Minister Llewellyn’s decision to allow publication of both sides of this argument for public perusal on the DPIW website. More information can be found on our own website www.brocburndorpers.com.

Obeying the Regulations and the attendant Code of Practice does absolutely nothing to prevent wool contamination by dishonest or disinterested wool producers.

However TFGA wool council could do something positive for their industry by developing and supporting a comprehensive code of practice for wool producers in this State, instead of continuing this inane campaign against those of us in the sheep meat industry who do not produce wool.

Jim Lyall
Brocburn Dorper and White Dorper Stud
59 South Riana Road
Upper Natone
Tasmania 7321

Back