The RMS online guide is the least helpful, blandly stating that “signs mean that in certain areas you may park at the kerb for the time shown on the sign between certain hours ...” Yes, that’s when the problem begins; when the stipulated time expires.

Formula Driving School (Sydney) provides an improvement. Its online pdf advises, “...you must not park on the length of road, or in the area, continuously for longer than the number of hours shown.” The word “continuously” is welcome. 

One presumes that as soon as one drives off, the act of parking ceases to be “continuous”; so the car can then be reparked “on the length of road, or in the area” immediately.

Unfortunately, driving schools don’t make or enforce the rules so their advice is only cold comfort.

The clearest ruling comes from Geelong Council, stating: “Where a parking control sign applies to a length of road or an area, you must not park there continuously for longer than the period allowed ... If you want to stay longer, you must move your vehicle out of the area between the two signs and into another parking area, or leave the off street car park and return.” Again, repetition of the word “continuously” occurs and the rest of the ruling is close to what, in the DA article, Tina Gavel has argued but what Councillor Paul Funnel disputes; he insists that the driver would have to move to a completely different “block” or risk a fine. 

Councillor Rod Kendall muddies the waters further with, “… you park in a zone, not a spot, and you’re expected to leave the zone” without defining what he means by “zone”. Is a zone the stretch of road between two signs; an entire off-street parking area; one (or all four) sides of a block; or the whole of Baylis St? New, undefined terms are just what we don’t need. 

Can we get Geelong Council to make a ruling in plain English for us please? It seems too difficult for our mob.

Farmers have received pro-forma documents to help them prepare their own submissions to the NSW Government in support of the national exporter Sunrice keeping its unique status.

It has the exclusive rights to sell overseas on behalf of the NSW Rice Marketing Board, the single desk provided benefits for growers and the communities.

In regards to the Sunrice review in the single marketing of rice:

As an ex-grape grower, the MIA Grape Marketing Board who had the power to negotiate with the wineries on the price of wine grapes per tonne, and in the year 2000 the state government deregulated the wine industry and took the power away from the Grape Marketing Board, now farmers have to go cap in hand and ask what price will I receive for my wine grapes. Farmers create the wealth outside the farm gate.

The dairy industry is another example, the year was 2000 and the federal government deregulated the dairy industry, 2016 farmers are receiving for their milk below cost of production, company is making a profit and shareholder, farmers work hard to put milk on our table at great cost to themselves and families.

A report in The Daily Advertiser (Sept 8) revealed processor Murray Goulburn Co-operative posted an increase in profit from $2.2million to $39.8 million this month.

I support the Sunrice Marketing Board, which has held compulsory vesting power rights over the crop in NSW for 90 years, farmers “need” their rice board to work on their behalf, and not work for shareholders, or the rice industry to be taken over by overseas company.