Leader of The Nationals welcomes planned purchase of Longreach Pastoral College

February 23, 2023

Leader of The Nationals and Federal Member for Maranoa David Littleproud has welcomed plansto retain and return critical agriculture and pastoral training services to Longreach.

Mr Littleproud said it was good news the AAM Investment Group, a consortium of private andcorporate pastoral interests, lodged an application to buy the former Longreach Pastoral College.

“It was a devastating blow when the State Labor government closed the gates of Longreach

Pastoral College in 2019,” Mr Littleproud said.

“It was a callous act of a Brisbane-based government because training facilities like Longreach arecrucial for the agriculture and pastoral industry, but Labor abandoned it to save money.

“Common sense tells you a successful pastoral and agriculture industry needs successful trainingfacilities.

“An outback college like the one in Longreach provided learning with hands-on training that youjust can’t get sitting in a classroom or at a desk – teaching important skills such as how to break-inhorses, muster cattle, butcher meat and grow crops.

“We need to give the next generation of farmers the skills they need to be the future food

providers and employers of Australia. Reopening Longreach Pastoral College will be a step in theright direction.”