THOUSANDS RALLY FOR GRAPES OF WRATH FARMERS

[icyfroth]

THOUSANDS of ordinary Australians yesterday rallied to help farming families being evicted from their drought-hit stations by the big banks, as pressure grew on the federal government to intervene in the mounting crisis.

Joe Hockey promised to “do what he could” to call the banks to account, but stopped short of committing to an immediate moratorium on forced farm foreclosures that happen in the current drought.

More than 46 farm families have been driven from their homes and properties in the past six months in the bone-dry ¬Longreach-Muttaburra district.

In northwest Queensland and the Gulf Country, now in its third year of record drought, federal MP Bob Katter yesterday said there were now nine farm foreclosures or receiverships and two suicides a week.

Winton grazier Charlie Phillott, 80, yesterday became the face of the farm debt crisis after his treatment by the ANZ bank — featured in The Weekend Australian on Saturday — was highlighted in a letter written by Toowoomba vet David Pascoe on social media.

Mr Phillott, his wife, Anne, and their adult family were this year thrown off remote Carisbrooke station without having missed a mortgage repayment when the ANZ began legal possession proceedings, after it had been their home for 54 years.
The octogenarian said yesterday from Winton he hoped the spotlight on his eviction would speed government action on a moratorium. “Mine’s an all too common story; you make your payments, even when the banks raise the interest rate to 12 per cent, then they engineer a default and all of a sudden you find you have no rights and are off your land,” Mr Phillott said.

Perhaps we could muster some outrage for the bank's war of greed on our farmers. Forced foreclosures on properties that have been in families for generations.

No doubt to be onsold to mining companies for huge profits.

From Dr David Pascoe's FB page

[fourandsixpants]

Maybe there are corporates....and their maaaates

........and banksters.....

..... who want to get to the coal seam gas underneath these farmers' properties.............

[icyfroth]

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@paintsew007 wrote:

Latest:

ANZ to stop forced farm sales in drought-hit regions of Queensland and New South Wales

The ANZ bank will introduce a 12-month moratorium on forced farm sales in areas of crippling drought throughout Queensland and New South Wales.

"While taking possession of a farm is always the last option after all other avenues have been exhausted, we feel it's prudent to take a pause on any new action given the severe impact the drought is having in Queensland and northern New South Wales," said ANZ Australia CEO Phil Chronican.

The bank has not been immune from the barrage of pressure mounting on the major lenders to offer greater compassion to producers in the hardest hit areas.......GOOD!

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-11/nrn-anz-moratorium/5961490?section=qld

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Great news, Paints. Looks like the Banks have been shamed into taking a step back. Still only a 12 month moratorium though. They can wait til the dust settles then quietly take up where they left off, next year. Even if it does rain, and a lot, right now, farmers will take years to rebuild their stock and crops.

And then there's not much profit to be made, with the supermarkets squeezing the profit margins right down. Corporations are killing Australia.

You have to wonder where Mr Abbott is going to find these millions of cattle he's going to sell to China in his "groundbreaking" free trade agreement.