Eric Hutchinson (Lyons, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Agriculture in all its forms is very important to my electorate of Lyons and the state of Tasmania. I want to tell you about a fifth generation Tasmanian beef and sheep farmer who is giving people living in the city an insight into life on the land. Matt Dunbabin and his wife Vanessa run beef cattle and sheep on their 6,400 hectare property at Dunalley on the beautiful Tasman Peninsula. The property has 30 kilometres of stunning coastline. Their historic property, Bangor , combines running 8,000 merino wool sheep with prime lamb production.

The Dunbabin's agricultural enterprise has been beamed to a national and international audience in an online documentary called The Journey of a Bettertarian . The documentary with the catchy title was a Meat & Livestock Australia initiative, part of the organisation's Target 100, which aims to deliver clear messages to demonstrate how sustainable sheep and cattle production is in Australia. Mr Dunbabin said that the documentary had been an exciting opportunity for he and his wife Vanessa to share their experiences with consumers interested in knowing where their food is produced and how it is produced. He said he hoped that city visitors would get a better perspective on the way they approached food after seeing first hand how a cattle and sheep farm operated. He believes it is vital to explain how farmers work with the environment and put the welfare of their animals at the top of their priority list. No-one cares more for animal welfare than our primary producers. More information is available at www.bettertarian.com.