With respect to the Blantyre Farms DA application, the Cunningar Silo upgrade DA, the Harden IGA, the Sibelco Mine expansion, Pepe’s Ducks development and any other application that builds jobs for our town and this region, I am a very strong supporter of them.

The results of the recent Brexit poll, the US elections, the last Federal election and indeed the Orange by-election are epitomised by the Blantyre Farms debacle.

Working families have had enough of government inaction and self-interested minority groups trying to hold the community to ransom.  If all these animal welfare people are so worried about animal welfare, then perhaps start lobbying politicians about population growth.  If you think we can feed the world’s population without intensively farmed animals, then you’re mistaken.  There simply isn’t enough land in the world to produce the meat that is demanded.  Meat prices would rise to such an extreme that it would be unaffordable to most families. It is the low socio-economic groups who would suffer greatly

The letter written by Julia Aitken a number of weeks ago is very misleading. Julia Aitken tried to demonise Blantyre Farms in her comparison of effluent from pigs and humans and the devastation that would result.

The fear that Julia Aitken tries to engender by the potential leaching of the effluent into the water table is nothing more than a load of clap trap.

The water travels hundreds and hundreds of kilometres downstream through any manner of natural filters, gets stored in a dam with many other rotting and decayed carcasses from all forms of wildlife as well as farmed animals, before it is pumped back up and intensively treated for human consumption.

But that’s not good enough for Julia Aitkin it’s still going to kill us all.  But wait, what about my vegetables out in the vegetable garden.  I and everyone else out there better stop putting the chook manure, pig manure, horse manure, cow manure and any other manure that humans all been using for hundreds and thousands of years to grow beautifully fresh ripe vegetables ready to eat.  We better start legislating against the use of compost in market gardens and ban the backyard vegetable garden.

Far better to have it all imported from countries that has food and animal welfare standards that don’t come within a bull’s roar of Australia’s.

Next time you read a letter or receive an email from Cunningar Valley Action Group or the Say No to Blantyre Farms, just remember these people aren’t creating jobs.  They are creating welfare dependency and exporting valuable Australian jobs to foreign countries who we will be forced to import from.

From November 19 to 27, Australia celebrates National Inclusion Week by coming together and encouraging communities to reconnect and be inclusive of all cultures, age groups, nationalities and the disadvantaged.

Now is the best time to set aside our differences and come together to support each other.

I work with countless kids from an extremely diverse group of cultures, ages, nationalities and abilities and let me tell you that despite their differences they are incredibly inclusive and respectful.  

I encourage you to not only reflect on how social inclusion and exclusion has impacted your community, but to also take action by hosting or attending registered event.