About this user
Filmclip: Sung and played by The Tullys - Canberra's International Family Band Starring: Maurice Tully, Cameron Tully, Jamie and Mechelle Tully
Produced, directed and edited by Sarah and Kate Tully
(With apologies to The Proclaimers and their wonderful song 500 MIles!)
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Read my blog! On my website link below. Also myspace.com/farmertully
After the disastrous 2003 Canberra bushfires and during the worst drought in recorded history, the ACT Government has kicked me off my agistment land - Mr Stanhope has not only not supported me in the drought - he seems to have simply allowed Environment ACT to be unrelentingly obstructive. My cows deserve better - they (and myself and my family, of course) have been on the roadside almost every day for nearly 11 months now! Mary Porter on the Government side has been compassionate and Bill Stefaniak, Leader of the Opposition, and his staff have been wonderfully supportive. Also the RSPCA!! Judy and Sharon are ANGELS in disguise!
The Tully family has had hundreds of acres taken from our owned land by the ACT Government over many years (the suburb of Cook was build on our farm ) see below. Because of this, we can't survive without rented land in the best of seasons, nevermind in this crippling drought.
You can help us by saving your day-old bread for our cows. I have a trailer parked on Coulter Drive that bread and veggies can be left in. There's a safe spot to pull off the road.
Questions to ask Mr Stanhope:
Why is little or no consideration given to the Tully family as very long-term tenants, given that this drought is reported as a catastrophic environmental event? We have rented one area for 25 years and another for 40 years - all fully paid up!
Why did Environment ACT threaten our good-hearted elderly neighbour with the loss of his ACT holdings if he leases our cattle to help us through the drought?
Why so personal? Could it be that our fire management -- which angered them at the time - stopped the '-03 fire in it's tracks along our boundary? No recognition or mention. (You can check this on the satellite photo.)
Why was a large park of our agistment land taken away under the cover of a 'dirty trick?' (We had removed our cattle willing to allow a community rally event and were opportunistically locked out.)
What other issue or issues, if any - other than slow payment (given that we acknowledge slow payment over the past decade) exist?
Why did Environment ACT insert clauses in the offer that would directly exclude the Tully family from being able to take up agistment? (Bank guarantee -- impossible as our lease has expired - and good payment record.)
Why did Environment ACT subsequently offer us two small blocks (formerly paid for by us for 40 years and up-to-date) if the criteria for offer is the same as Kama or Bluwitt's Pines?
Why won't Environment ACT acknowledge that it is my management that turned Kama from a desolate area into the environmental gem it is today? If they are so obviously delighted with it, why haven't they enquired into our unique restoration practices?
Tully/Canberra History
We have been unable, not unwilling, to make timely payments, and do not have any off-farm income or investments to subsidise us. Our farm started off as over 2,000 acres. Land was withdrawn from my father for the suburb of Cook; William Hovell/Coulter Drive Intersection and Mt Painter nature park.
The 'compensation' amounted to less than $2.00 per suburban house block, which sent Donald Tully into a depression he never recovered from.
Not only that, but a number of our paddocks mistakenly withdrawn at that time have not been returned to our lease to this day - from the 1960s - despite many approaches from us and many promises.
• Given that we were not granted fair or just compensation, we could not afford to relocate. Our family did not seek to make any profit from the expansion of the city, but needed a 'parity' price with NSW.
• Agistment was offered to us after losing those areas, which we took up as we could not afford to leave. This allowed first my father, and then myself, to maintain my cattle and sheep herds (their breeding and association is directly from my grandfather's herds from the 1930s).
You can contact Mr Stanhope, MLA, Chief Minister and Treasurer of the Australian Capital Territory, Australia by:
T: (02) 6205 0104 F: (02) 6205 0433 E: stanhope@act.gov.au
Age
65
Hometown
Canberra
Country
Australia
Occupation
Grazier - I'm a commercial Angus breeder, I keep a small mob of Merinos for no apparent financial reason (mainly to keep my old man's tradition alive).
Companies
www.thetullys.com.au
Schools
Canberra Grammer, but I homeschooled my kids - very rewarding!
Interests
Anything outdoors - not that I've had time for hobbies since Mr Stanhope put me and my cows out to pasture in the 'Long Paddock'!!!
FarmerTully
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