Russell Broadbent (McMillan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have come not to talk about Poowong Dairy Expo, to be held on 23 to 24 September this year. But last year at that same expo—they are celebrating their 10th year—Professor David de Kretser, who you would know better as our state Governor and who is Patron of Andrology Australia, which deals with men’s health, male reproductive health and associated conditions, requested that we have information for men at the Dairy Expo this year. Peter Ryan and I have put together a package, with the support of our great staff, to have that information at the stand. There will be a diabetes stand as well at the Dairy Expo from 23 to 24 September at Poowong.

It was a very ordinary day, a beautiful day, when in the evening a farmer went down to check his trough. It was normal to check that particular trough just before dinner. He was concerned about it. Dinner was on pretty soon so he had five or 10 minutes to go and check it. He took the old farm ute down, parked the farm ute, pulled on the handbrake and walked around the back of the ute to check the trough. Blow me down; the handbrake gave way and slammed the farmer up against the trough, trapping him. His wife back at the house, knowing that he was ready for dinner, thought he had been a little too long at the trough and was concerned. She could see the ute up there on the hill and it had not moved. She thought it was time to move to go and check. She found that her husband was crushed under the ute behind the trough. He was quickly flown out of there by air ambulance and he is now recuperating in a rehabilitation hospital.

I bring this to your attention not because we have farm accidents—they do happen—but because the ute was not registered. It was the old farm ute; therefore in Victoria the farmer would not come under the TAC. My address today is to tell farmers across Australia—if it affects them in the same way—that, if they are using vehicles on their property that are not registered and they have an accident with them, the vehicles are not covered by the TAC. It is a plea from me and every member of this parliament for care in farm safety. Another great plea is: for heaven’s sake cover your loved ones, your family and those who work for you by making sure that the equipment on your farm is registered and can do the job that it is meant to do.