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| NSW Farmers’ Association [10 Mar 2010] |
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| Government told to use Australian |
The NSW Farmers’ Association is calling for Australian wool to always be favourably considered for use in government textile contracts.
The Association’s Executive Council voted for the move after hearing of a recent case where the NSW Government overlooked a chance to support the local wool and textile industries.
“In this case the Government procured from overseas the textiles for the seats of the new Waratah trains, which is incredibly disappointing for our local growers,” NSW Farmers’ Association President Charles Armstrong said.
“A RailCorp report suggested that the UK based firm was selected because it was better in areas such as durability, weight, flammability and resistance to vandalism.
“But in fact many of these claims have been refuted by the Australian consortium involved, with the backing of the CSIRO.
“There is every reason for using Australian wool in Australia governmental contracts. They should be supporting the industry for one, but we also have a significantly versatile and often superior product.
“We are not afraid of competition, and are happy for any considerations to be based on cost and suitability.
“There are sound practical and financial reasons for using Australian products. We will be lobbying to ensure this happens in future,” Charles Armstrong concluded.
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