Drought forum was 'nothing but a talkfest'
Photo: ALI KUCHEL
SOME farmers found last week’s Lockyer Valley Livestock Drought Forum depressing, while others didn’t even bother to attend.
That was according to two attendees who claimed the forum was nothing but a “talkfest”.
Ropeley graziers Carolyn and Graeme Becker attended the forum last weekend but said it provided little opportunity for producers to speak their minds.
Limited time for discussion because of long speeches was made worse by what the Beckers said was inaccurate reporting of what was said during the discussions.
“I noticed the scribe wasn’t writing down exactly what we were saying,” Mrs Becker said.
This compounded the fact that many producers had chosen not to attend.
This meant many in the room weren’t livestock producers, with Mrs Becker estimating farmers made up less than half the attendees.
The couple also questioned whether the forum was just an exercise in public relations.
Lockyer Valley Regional Council rejected any suggestion the drought forum was anything other than a genuine attempt to help those doing it tough.
Mayor Tanya Milligan said despite the negative comments from the Beckers, the overwhelming majority of attendees indicated the forum was a success.
“From the feedback survey, more than 80 per cent of attendees rated the event as successful or highly successful, which is really pleasing,” she said.
Cr Milligan said the forum results would be available “in coming weeks”.