LIVESTOCK producers in southern Victoria are continuing to press the City of Greater Geelong Council to retain their local saleyards, and the issues of work health and safety, animal welfare, biosecurity, community health and social pressures have all come to the forefront, just as they did when the future of the former Bathurst yards was the subject of fierce debate.
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Time has shown us that the Central Tablelands Livestock Exchange yards have brought impressive market values to our producers and have changed some stock and station agents from being small, local businesses into thriving regional operators.
The Bathurst saleyards was really a countryman’s Men’s Shed; it was a great meeting place for district farmers “while mum did the shopping”.
Money talks
ANY farmer who hasn’t visited his or her accountant recently may be well advised to spend an hour with that person this week. Tax planning may well centre on:
* Farm management deposits that can now be offset against farm loans.
* Cash contributions to super funds.
* Utilising the $20,000 per purchase immediate income tax write off for items for business use.
Pre-paying of loan interest or a significant reduction in loan commitments may not seem as attractive, but would be really valuable when the wheel turns in future.
A $300 visit to your accountant may well prune many thousands of dollars from your tax settlement.
Did you know?
JUST a change from cows, grass and sheep:
* There is a spot on the Gunbarrel Highway where a sign says 493km to Warburton; 724km to Giles; 1533km to Alice Springs. That spot is closer to space than the nearest town.
* Australia’s largest electorate, Durack, at 1,587,758 square kilometres, is larger than France, Germany and Spain combined.
* Anna Creek Station in South Australia is 24,000 square kilometres and larger than Israel.
* There were 24 rabbits released in Australia in 1859 and they bred to approximately 10 billion in less than 70 years.
* We are probably the only country in the world that if a wall were built around us we could be totally self-sufficient in all things, and supply and feed our own population. (Thanks to CF for this information).
Laugh lines
HEAVY drinkers have two reasons for staying at the local until very late: either they don’t have a wife at home, or they do.
THEY argued about early professions. The surgeon said: “When God took a rib from Adam to create Eve, that was the very first surgical operation.” The architect said: “In order to restore order from chaos, God must have been an architect.” But the wise public servant stated: “Oh, but who created all the chaos in the first place?”
