Member for Stuart Dan van Holst Pellekaan has welcomed the decision by the Weatherill Government to agree, after many months, to the Liberal Party’s amendment in Parliament to retain the state’s Pastoral Board.

“The Liberal Party stood firm by refusing to allow the passage of the Statutes Amendment (Boards and Committees) Bill abolishing the Pastoral Board without a viable alternative to replace it,” said Mr van Holst Pellekaan.

“The Pastoral Board is not perfect and there is room for improvement in the way it operates, nonetheless, Labor’s intention to abolish it without any replacement representation for pastoralists was never going to be acceptable.

“I would like to acknowledge and thank Livestock SA and the individual pastoralists who have also been active on this issue including joining me in meetings with the Weatherill Government.

“If the Weatherill Government wishes to pursue an improved form of representation for the pastoral industry, I will certainly work with them in a positive way, but I will never agree to leave the pastoral industry without effective representation.”