Thread: I believe this is serious?

There's no fruit & veggies store in Kalgoorlie any more either Robert. When I drive home, I've usually got an order from SWMBO and I stop at the fruit markets in Sawyers Valley on the way through.

Of the other products that you mention - I buy the occasional product from Japan (SWMBO drives a Camry ) - but am with you on the other two.

Only place I've ever seen fuel discount at an IGA store was at Lauderdale in Tassie when I was down there recently - but the service station (which was part of the same IGA store) was a pain in the butt - you had to go inside and "pre-pay" for your fuel before they'd activate the bowser for you. With the long range tank in the Disco - it's a bit difficult to estimate how much fuel I need to "pre-pay" for - so I gave the voucher to my mum to use.

That's another type of business that I won't spend my money with - service stations that insist on "pre-payment" for fuel.

I also usually get my fuel from one of a couple of family owned BP outlets.

At our IGA you give them the fuel receipt and they deduct the discount from your food bill.
The big guys are easy to beat if you want to, if everyone stopped shopping there and/or only bought Australian, then they would have rotten imported food to deal with. They only stock what sells and if they have cheap imported food there it's because people are buying it. The consumer will ultimately dictate whether our farmers survive. It's up to an education process to let the consumers know the importance of their choices. The problem there is the multinationals also own the media and education doesn't rate on their agenda. They are more interested in just feeding the pigs.

I'm not a farmer but we live rural and half the kids in the local school (41 kids) are from the local farms. They are doing it tough. Stock feed and water a becoming quite an issue around here. As for our place it is bone dry. We have powdered dust where I was running the flood pump during the last 6 years. It's the driest it has ever been in 10 years on our block and only the second time it has dried out.

It seems to me Farmers do ok if it rains. If the season is good then the farmers are on track. Trouble is the weather is not too predictable, good seasons are 1 in ?.
Perhaps like interest rates, some higher committee or body should have an input into interest rates, minimum price for sales, land rates and so on match to the seasons. It would have to exclude hobby framing and corporate owned farms I'd imagine.

It seems many dislike coles and woolies domination. I have no idea of there beginnings, but they just didn't arrive. Like Qantas, Coles and Woolies were probably just an idea or dream, or some family owned business that worked hard, took some chances, and got it to start working. From there on the process repeated until they have become what they are today. I'm sure Joe corner store feels the pinch when IGA move into town.

We need to support coles and woolies but in a balanced way. Yes they are big and probably bullies, but they also employ many many many people. It would be wise to spread our dollar as consumers around within Australian business. Coles and Woolies are Australian and not multinational. We should be vocal to business, government, and the dam media about fairness, community, and county. Not just prices down down down and what else can I buy with my change. Endless discounting ends in failure, and misery for all parties usually.

Quantas failed on many fronts. But they will go and all Aus will have is multinationals being subsidised by their own governments. Why, we all wanted cheap seats mostly. I am guilty of this myself. But I don't want my Gov propping up car and air line industries. I don't want old die hard business's thinking that V8's are still the way to go, or that I need a meal on a 1 hour flight. As mentioned before in this thread, business need to move with the times, Coles and Woolies have.
I'm happy to buy Australian, and this means going without something personally because I have to pay more usually. Wages, standard of living here in Aus, the isolated big country with 22 million we are; means we cant have it all. I can't have it all. Even though our modern lives suggest we can, we don't have the population to do so.

The solution lay with every individual as much as large successful companies.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCYnHOp2lH4]IS IT GOODBYE AUSSIE FARMER? - official music video - YouTube[/ame]

This says more than I could write.

Thanks fo the reply's guys, like I said, i'm not a bushy, but my heart is out there with you right now.

Jez

The cockies wont give up, until they are totally beaten. I'd like to think that is a way off yet. A couple of ways we might be able to help. Only buy Australian meat, dairy products, canned food. Put off that overseas trip, head for the outback, spend your money there. Look for local fruit/ meat coops, give the big stores a miss. So you have to spend a dollar more? so what. Stand with the farmers, if you know one that needs fencing done, organise your 4X4 club to head out & help. It is correct that depression may ,make a man neglect his farm, instead of sitting in front of a computer on a forum waffling about it, get out & do something about it. And, yes I have. Bob


Rivers rising in western Qld but graziers need more rain - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

In town today, met one of the local farmers. His newborn calves are dying because theri mothers have no/inadequate milk.

And his area is not drought declared (yet). Supposed to rain this weekend. We will see!

John

Originally Posted by bob10

The cockies wont give up, until they are totally beaten. I'd like to think that is a way off yet. A couple of ways we might be able to help. Only buy Australian meat, dairy products, canned food. Put off that overseas trip, head for the outback, spend your money there. Look for local fruit/ meat coops, give the big stores a miss. So you have to spend a dollar more? so what. Stand with the farmers, if you know one that needs fencing done, organise your 4X4 club to head out & help. It is correct that depression may ,make a man neglect his farm, instead of sitting in front of a computer on a forum waffling about it, get out & do something about it. And, yes I have. Bob


Rivers rising in western Qld but graziers need more rain - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Well said Bob.I can't make it rain, but i can choose where I shop (or the Mrs shops) Also, I think it is important that our farmers are aware that real people (not polly's or bankers) DO know of their plight and DO care. My small post on this forum may make a difference to someone somewhere may miles from Canberra. I hope so.