John Madigan (Victoria, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

Minister, is the government aware of how much good cropping grazing country in the Western District of Victoria you can purchase for $15 million? You can pick up 5,000 acres of some of our prime grazing country in the Western District of Victoria. Not to mention that 5,000 acres at $3,000 an acre is $15 million. That is a huge swathe of our prime agricultural land. Not to mention what you can buy around Ballarat—prime volcanic soil with high rainfall. At 2007 prices, $10,000 an acre, it is 1,500 acres. Then, if you go to Gunbower in Victoria you can pick up 12½ thousand acres at $1,200 an acre, which gives you $15 million. Is the minister aware of how much of Australia's best agricultural land can be purchased for $15 million?