People needed to support dairy farmers

THE State Government has removed Norco as the milk supplier for hospitals in northern NSW, a move that threatens the viability of the region’s last 100 per cent farmer-owned dairy cooperative.

Norco, representing 191 farming families, confirmed that North Coast Health Facilities will no longer source hospital milk supplies from its farmers.

The decision has sparked concerns about the impact on local jobs and the community.

“Given our 129-year heritage in the Northern Rivers region, we are naturally disappointed by their decision to no longer support local and 100 per cent Australian-owned,” a Norco spokesperson said.

“But what’s even more disheartening is the decision to instead source their milk from another supplier with foreign shareholders, whereby their profits don’t stay wholly in Australia.”

The spokesperson said it was not the first time a company with foreign ownership had been favoured over Norco.

“The 2018 decision to do the same was met with fierce community and industry opposition and was eventually overturned,” they said. “In light of the impact this will have on the Northern Rivers community and our hard-working local farmers, we remain hopeful that the decision will be reviewed in its entirety.”

Lismore MP Janelle Saffin urged Nationals MPs to present a united front by supporting an e-petition to Parliament to restore Norco’s contract to supply milk to North Coast hospitals and health services.

“We need 20,000 signatures to get this issue debated on the floor of Parliament, and that is powerful,” Ms Saffin said.

“To have two separate petitions in circulation is already leading to confusion in the community and effectively weakens our chances of getting the required number of signatures.

“It is people power we need this time as well to support our local Norco employees and dairy farmer suppliers who are part and parcel of the Norco dairy co-operative.”

The petition is at parliament.nsw.gov.au.