While the DPI has frequently made comparisons to previous locust plagues, they have not provided any figures for the actual costs caused by those plagues. They are claiming that current locust plague may cost the state $2 billion, but they are not providing any hard evidence to back up that claim. "Unless you stand in the path of the spray, the danger Mr O’Brien warns of is unlikely." That would be good if it were true, unfortunately extensive research says otherwise. As I mentioned in my letter, some of the chemicals to be used in Victoria this spring have already been banned in other countries, including the United States, because they are considered too hazardous to human health. Feel free to do your own research. The data is all out there. The DPI, and the Victorian Government are well aware that these chemicals are dangerous, and pose a risk to human health. However they consider this to be an acceptable risk. If they actually believed the chemicals were safe, then why would they deny liability for damage they may cause? As we are all sharing the risk, we should all have some say in what we consider acceptable.

Eugene O'Brien

Perhaps Eugene is volunteering to stand 'scarecrow' like in this year's promised bountiful crop of grasses (wheat, barley and oats etc) and wave her arms around to prevent the billions of swarming locusts from stripping the fields bare. The book of Exodus gives a graphic account of what she’ll face: “The swarm covered the sky, casting a shadow over Egypt (Victoria). It consumed all the remaining Egyptian (Victorian) crops, leaving no tree or plant standing.” Should she fail in her doubtless energetic flailing, the locusts of this season’s hatching will lay billions more eggs and the swarm will return next season in even greater numbers. They will return again each season until all the available ‘grass’ is exhausted. By then of course Victoria’s farmers will have been driven into bankruptcy by the destruction of their crops and won’t have anything left to plant. But this will be of little consequence to the Greens, who with their Malthusian ideology will welcome such calamity.

"...wave her arms around.." or 'his' arms should this be the case ;-P