Bligh must compensate for loss of pension rights
15th August, 2008
Many farmers who have had their properties acquired to make way for the proposed Traveston Crossing dam will permanently lose the right to claim the aged pension, Federal Member for Wide Bay, Warren Truss has warned today.“From 1 January 2007, the former Coalition Government introduced a special pension concession for farmers to enable them to retire on the family farm. Farmers are allowed to exclude from the Centrelink asset test for the age pension and carer payment all the land on which their farm home is located, provided it has been held continuously for more than 20 years,” Mr Truss said.
However, now that farm properties have been compulsorily acquired by the State Government, land owners will no longer be eligible for this exemption, causing them to lose access to the age pension and carer payment — both now and into the future.
“This is yet another cruel consequence of the dam proposal that the Bligh Government failed to consider.
“Landowners who bought their property, lived on it, worked on it, raised a family and planned to retire on it, have been devastated to have their land forcibly acquired by the State Labor Government,” Mr Truss said.
“It then comes as a double shock for these land owners to find that the acquisition terminates their eligibility for aged pension and carer payments.”
Mr Truss has called for the State Government to make additional compensation available to landowners who lose access to Centrelink payments as a result of the dam.
Mr Truss has raised concerns about the loss of Centrelink entitlements by dam victims with the Federal Minister for Families, Housing and Community Services, Hon Jenny Macklin but Ms Macklin has refused to intervene. She argued that since the dam was announced (a few days) before the farm land concession, everyone should have been aware of its implications.
“The State Government should immediately determine the value of these Centrelink entitlements and increase their compensation offers accordingly.”
Mr Truss also reinforced his opposition to the Traveston Crossing dam proposal.
“I will continue to fight the Traveston Crossing dam and highlight the disastrous economic, social and environmental impacts it would have on the Mary Valley and Great Sandy Straits. The Government must pursue more viable options for delivering water to Brisbane that are more reliable and cheaper than the Traveston Crossing dam.”
