Labor shuns regional agriculture innovation

Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Peter Walsh

Shadow Minister for Agriculture Peter Walsh has welcomed a multi-million dollar university investment in a state-of-the-art food and fibre innovation hub and called on the Andrews Labor Government to follow by example with investment in our world-class industry.
RMIT opened its $15 million Food Research and Innovation Centre earlier today at its Bundoora campus in Melbourne’s north.
Regional Victoria is home to existing world-class research facilities that have been neglected under this city-centric Andrews Labor Government.
The Coalition pledged to fund a $12.5 million upgrade to the Wimmera’s Grains Innovation Park in the lead-up to the 2014 election so they could continue their cutting-edge work in the grains industry.
Labor has failed to match this commitment and the centre has missed out on much-needed improvements and expansion to the existing laboratories and greenhouses, and upgrades to critical infrastructure.
The former Coalition Government also invested $2.3 million in Hamilton’s agriculture facilities to create the Red Meat Innovation Centre in 2011. This included $1.3 million to build a new multi-purpose animal housing, handling and feeding research facility.
Quotes attributable to Shadow Minister for Agriculture Peter Walsh
Our regional world-class agriculture research facilities have been neglected under the Andrews Labor Government.
The government claims to be investing in the food and fibre industry, but they have failed to meet the Coalition’s $12.5 million pledge for much-needed upgrades to Horsham’s Grains Innovation Park.
Daniel Andrews must stop treating regional Victorians as second-rate citizens and direct investment into the heart of our agricultural sector in country Victoria. Something Daniel Andrews seems to find very hard to do.

Media contact: Emma Manser 0437 225 386 emma.manser@opposition.vic.gov.au