Premier Jeremy Rockliff said it was "disappointing" that a Victorian council has refused to open up a port that could be used to ship critically needed animal feed to King Island, where farmers are struggling with an unprecedented drought.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Colac Otway shire, which controls the Port of Apollo Bay in Western Victoria, is blocking the transhipment of 500 tonnes of fodder and 200 tonnes of pellets, claiming that the dock is not suitable for commercial operations.
"It is extremely disappointing that the council has made the decision to walk away, despite senior Tasmanian officials dedicating significant time and resources ... to find a way to open the port in these exceptional circumstances," Mr Rockliff said.
"The council did not notify our government, or farmers of their intention to pull the pin before issuing a public statement.
"I have requested our officials to continue discussions with the council while we search for alternative options as a matter of urgency."
Colac Otway shire chief executive Anne Howard said on Tuesday that although the Council was "empathetic" to the circumstances facing King Island farmers, it was "not appropriate" to approve the freight shipment.
"The Port of Apollo Bay is a local port and not a commercial trading port," she said.
"Council has received an independent engineering report that has assessed that freight movements of this scale present risks to the port's infrastructure and operations.
"Colac Otway Shire Council, as the port manager, and the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning, as the port owner, have determined that until those risks are resolved it is not appropriate to approve the movement of this freight at this time."
Earlier this week, Tasfarmers President Ian Sauer labelled the Council's decision as "bloody-minded".
"Apollo Bay is the closest mainland commercial port to King Island. Other ports don't provide the best access for the immediate purposes of shipping critical supplies of fodder to address animal welfare concerns and drought relief on King Island," he said.
"The feed bound for the island is ready to go, but a decision not to allow the feed and fodder to leave from Apollo Bay is a disaster, a selfish un-Australian decision."
The council was displaying a "total lack of understanding" of the "dire situation" on the island, he said.
"Farmers on King Island are experiencing some of the worst dry conditions in the last 100 years.
"Farmers are at their wit's end and their psychological well-being is seriously threatened, not to mention their livelihoods.
"This is a six-hour boat trip which in some cases will save a lifetime of work."
