another scaremongering defamation article

http://qcl.farmonline.com.au/news/state/agribusiness-and-general/general/industry-under-threat-from-water-contamination/1931870.aspx

Industry under threat from water contamination
TROY ROWLING
06 Sep, 2010 09:34 AM
WHEN John Andress was a livestock agent and auctioneer, he could seal a deal with a simple handshake.
But now he says the State Government wants him to lie in writing and it could jeopardise the entire South Burnett beef industry.

The retired producer runs a few head of cattle on his properties around the South Burnett, which included land within the 2km affected zone of the Cougar Energy contamination spill.

He had sold the land in March to a forestry corporation, but was allowed to continue running cattle on the land.

In July, landowners in suspected contaminated areas were banned from using their bores until test results showed last month that levels of benzine and toluene were below national standards.

A few days after the Department of Environment and Resource Management called the ban, government vets took blood and fat samples from 25 steers across five properties in the affected areas, including Mr Andress' property. He was told the results would be sent within a week.

Six weeks on and he is still waiting. He drove to Kingaroy Town Hall to confront Sustainability Minister Kate Jones about government's lack of response. When he asked for the results, he was told a Biosecurity Queensland representative would follow up on the issue after the meeting.

However, as the public servants, scientists and a sheepish minister sleeked for the exit, not one person asked for his name or contact details.

Mr Andress, who has moved the steers to another property, said the government should show more "common decency" to landholders by providing the test results in writing. He said producers could not sell their cattle because they could not complete the vendor declaration truthfully.

The government last month said producers should continue with "business as usual". However, Mr Andress said until the test results were released, landowners could not answer whether their cattle had been exposed to chemical residue.

"Information is being withheld from property owners and the government is making us all into liars," he said.

"If they've got the results, why haven't they informed the landholders and if they haven't got the results how can they say it is business as usual? I will not sell those cattle because I could be lying on the vendor declaration form and that could put the whole industry at risk."