Amanda King, East Lismore
Community concerns regarding food production and future food security were demonstrated at the Lismore Community Sustainability Forum held last year. This issue was identified as the most important of the top ten priorities.
Food security is an issue around the world and our local councils need to protect agricultural and fertile lands from encroaching development, mining activities and other conflicting land uses to ensure long-term food production in the region.
Much more can be done to support our local farmers and growers. Local farmers would benefit from the complete phasing out of plastic shopping bags to improve the quality of the local green bin mulch, organic markets would benefit from the ability to promote their markets using roadside signage, organic and farmer markets would benefit from a marketplace closer to where people usually shop. All of these would benefit local shoppers and stimulate the local economy.
So far in this local council election only one party or group has even mentioned food security, even in the face of the coal-seam gas threat. The Northern Rivers Greens are committed to ensuring the future food security of the region, advocating for a more accessible marketplace, continuing the fight against CSG, consulting with local producers and pushing for the phasing out of plastic shopping bags. Think about the long-term future and the security of food in the northern rivers region and vote 1 Greens this coming Saturday.
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