Cash hand-over for underpasses

VICTORIAN dairy farmers will get a boost to improve farm safety and productivity with the launch last week of a new round of the Cattle Underpass Scheme (CUPS).
The Victorian Farmers Federation is administering the $3 million program, which will make grants of up to $50,000 available for farmers to build cattle underpasses on their properties.
“This is a great opportunity for farmers to invest in maintaining their efficiency while also improving workplace safety,” United Dairyfarmers of Victoria president Adam Jenkins said.
“The CUPS program has always been very popular and in our experience it gets over-subscribed very quickly, so everyone needs to keep their eyes out for more information on how to apply.”
The VFF has worked with successive Victorian Governments to build 550 cattle underpasses since the program was first introduced in 2000.
The schemes have taken thousands of cows off the state’s roads and resulted in improved road safety, workplace safety for farmers and their employees, improved farm efficiency and productivity, and the removal of impediments to the expansion of dairy farms and growth of the industry.
“Safety is a big factor, not just for the public but for the stock,” Mr Jenkins said.
“As farms get bigger and bigger there is even more demand for underpasses.
“It’s just unsafe going over roads especially with the larger herds, so underpasses are just a must have now.”
The CUPS program is being funded by the Government’s $200 million Agriculture Industry and Jobs Fund (AIJF), which aims to create jobs, boost exports and support farmers in transporting their products from paddock to port.