COMPULSORY ACQUISITION LUDICROUS
Member for Western Victoria Region, Bev McArthur MP and Shadow Minister for Planning and Heritage, Housing, Population and Local Government, Tim Smith MP, visited the Larcombe family farm on Thursday evening in Waurn Ponds.
Bev McArthur MP and Tim Smith MP met with a crowd of local residents at the farm, all who were affected and deeply concerned by the planned compulsory acquisition of 61 hectares of the property for the installation of a train stabling facility. The Larcombe family property is one of the oldest farms in Victoria and will become unviable if the acquisition goes ahead.
Bev McArthur said “Residents in the area unanimously oppose this careless decision by Rail Projects Victoria and are greatly concerned about the noise and air pollution that the stabling facility will generate, not to mention the destruction of the Larcombe family’s agricultural enterprise.”
Bev McArthur said “Darren Cheeseman, Gayle Tierney and Jaala Pulford should stop ignoring the concerns conveyed to them by their constituents and work to prevent this disgraceful compulsory acquisition by their Government.”
Bev McArthur said “This arbitrary decision is emblematic of this Government’s complete neglect for the interests of rural communities in favour of bureaucratic control.”
Tim Smith said “I support improving rail infrastructure in Melbourne and, of course, in Regional Victoria. However, this decision has not been made after consultation with the local community. This decision is very unfair on the farmer whose property will be destroyed by the Compulsory Acquisition, especially when there is a far more appropriate location on an adjacent 260 hectare property.”
4 October 2019