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Local MP to plead ag station's case

Posted November 26, 2008 10:29:00

The New South Wales Government is facing further pressure to delay its planned closure of an agricultural research station in the state's north.

The Glenn Innes Agricultural Research Station is one of eight marked for closure in the State Government's mini-Budget.

The Member for the Northern Tablelands, Richard Torbay, will meet Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald this afternoon to plead the case for keeping the station open.

Mr Torbay says the station has too much potential to justify a closure.

"You would have thought the department and the minister's office would have had a much better grip on the circumstances of this station, the partnerships that are going on there and indeed the opportunities people are are openly expressing that they'd like to further explore," he said.

He says he will be voicing the concerns raised by more than 300 community members at last week's public meeting in Glen Innes.

"Asking him to at least put a stay of execution in place so we can consider these opportunities for the future," he said.

Tags: government-and-politics, the-budget, states-and-territories, rural, research-organisations, activism-and-lobbying, programs-and-initiatives, nsw, glen-innes-2370, tamworth-2340