AN OPEN letter to the editor to Local Land Services, Department of Primary Industries, Federal, State and local governments. As some of you are aware and all of you should be, we have been fighting a tropical soda apple infestation on our property for over four years.
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Fighting the TSA infestation has been very time consuming, expensive and dangerous, as well as affecting our mental health, stealing the majority of our recreational time.
We have had to prioritise the TSA infestation as urgent, resulting in all other property maintenance being neglected, especially fencing.
Our experience with council weed management has not been good, with council weed management only rationing us 10 litres of Grazon Extra chemical over the four years, despite repeated requests to issue us more chemical. 10 litres of chemical over four years with the heavy infestation of TSA ...
We have been one of the most proactive, vigilant, consistent TSA fighters in all of the Macleay Valley!
We have painstakingly, methodically and thoroughly picked all fruit found on plants and deep burying the apples to prevent germination.
We have been featured in The Land newspaper for our efforts in not only fighting TSA but for all the educational work we have done to assist other landowners infested with TSA on how to eradicate the ''Weed From Hell'' .
We have supplied our council GM with approximately 70 videos on our battle eradicating TSA from our property and the fight is ongoing.
It is our opinion that council failed in the containment and eradication of TSA and that failure has caused significant financial loss and mental anguish to us that is ongoing.
We ask our councilors to ask staff about their undertakings for tropical soda apple containment and eradication.
We ask for a forensic audit and a public inquiry to the management of TSA in the Macleay.
We ask for a report and management plan for the containment and eradication of TSA by council to be tabled for not only councillors but for all Macleay folk and those who buy and transport our cattle, hay and silage.
Troy Irwin, Verges Creek
Effort thwarted
WHEN did the attempt by a private citizen to raise donations to aid struggling farmers become a reportable offence? One or two days per week, for a couple of weeks, two old birds would station themselves at a spot between the Stuart St entrances to IGA or Aldi to collect donations of food and hygiene products for Australian farmers.
All was going well until a citizen took offence when one of the ladies asked him/her if they cared to make a donation. While the average person (who could not afford, or didn't want to donate) would either give a negative reply backed with an excuse, or just ignore the ladies, the citizen, because he/she was so offended by the request, that they lodged complaints with the police and Kempsey Shire Council.
One of the complaints accused the old ducks of getting in the face of shoppers.
Australian farmers need all the help they can get. Since the ladies are not allowed to engage shoppers in conversation unless the shopper speaks first, donations have dropped considerably.
