Think again

It was pleasing to see Baw Baw Shire Council approve establishment of a strawberry farm at Yarragon.

While not wishing to be involved as to whether this specific operation will be situated in the right area and respecting local residents’ concerns, there are some points worth considering that have been raised by this potential application and investment.

The first is that such an opportunity should be voted against by two councillors on the grounds that the land should be better used for grazing beef cattle. Many of the beef cattle in Yarragon/Trafalgar area north of the highway have replaced dairy cattle that were on farms that became uneconomic to produce milk.

The land there, with correct husbandry and drainage, could readily be used for intensive horticultural food production, either sustainable or conventional.

With great road and rail links to Melbourne it could replace a large acreage of land to the west of Melbourne where up to 30 per cent of horticultural land is expected to be lost to residential development.

With this in mind and the likelihood that further supplies of fresh produce are likely to be imported from Asia, councillors should be encouraging further intensive horticulture not driving it away.

Second, as we see daily the effects of cyclical drought to our north and the possibility of warmer temperatures here in this area, those of us that have our own gardens and grow our own vegetables are grateful for our growing conditions.

Regular winter rainfall, lower average temperatures and fertile soil can all lead to high yields,

These same success rates and beyond, will of course be generated by expert horticulturalists here in various areas of Baw Baw Shire, especially those mentioned above.

Having seen the extensive investment of Flavorite, the potato production in Thorpdale and other successful horticultural entities one can only wonder where councillors who voted against this proposal because it is wrong that we are taking away prime land that could be used for grazing cattle and is being put under a building obtained their information and impartial advice.

Ralph Slaughter, Drouin