Katters Australian Party NSW Senate candidate Tom Harris on a visit today to Caroona and Breeza at Liverpool Plains met locals and urged them to continue their fight to keep prime agricultural land in productivity.
“I am a farmer and it was great to feel that lovely rich soil as I met with locals,” said Mr Tom Harris.
Bob Katter is the only federal politician who has issued a clear trumpet call for keeping prime agricultural land in food production and to protect underground water. The vocal Queensland Federal Member has been long viewed as the conscience of the Liberals and Nationals when dealing with unpalatable issues.
“I am opposing the Shenhua and BHP coalmines on the grounds of too much risk to agricultural productivity and the national interest,” Mr Harris said.
“Unlike many of our politicians, I know that our food comes from agricultural land. You can’t eat coal. There are vast tracts of less-productive agricultural land that can be mined for coal.
“I commend the Caroona Coal Action Group and Liverpool Plains Youth Group for their courageous stance.
“Unfortunately the Australian Electoral Commission has just re-drawn the electoral boundaries removing the prime agricultural farms around Caroona and Breeza from Nationals candidate Barnaby Joyce’s electorate of New England and adding them to the huge Parkes electorate.
“This lets deputy PM Barnaby Joyce off the hook for taking a principled stance on the vital issues of Australia’s prime agricultural land in the Liverpool Plains area.”
For further information contact Tom Harris 0429 668 065
Caroona Coal Action Group John Hamparsum 0429 445 899 02 6744 5899
Liverpool Plains Youth Group Sarah Sulmam 0457 485 610 and Joshua Lay 0447 035 076