Vol. 28 No. 39
A FREE PUBLICATION FROM YOUR LOCAL RADIO STATIONS 3WM AND MIXXFM
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
HISTORY-MAKING: United States’ Stawell Gift entrant Sha’Carri Richardson is the third woman in the event’s history to win the handicapped event from scratch. South Australian Olufemi Komolafe, a medical student, won the men’s final. Thousands of people attended the annual footrace, including Olympic gold medallist Cathy Freeman, who won the 400-metre event in 1996. Story, pictures, pages 38 and 39. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
Milgate to advocate A
BY LAUREN HENRY
s new president of the Victorian Farmers Federation, Minyip cropping farmer Ryan Milgate is stepping into the hotseat of a key rural advocacy role ahead of this year’s state election.
Mr Milgate was announced as the new president, taking over from outgoing leader and Quambatook farmer Brett Hosking, who last week announced his intention to stand as a pre-selection candidate for the Nationals in the seat of Murray Plains, vacated by retiring former Victorian leader Peter Walsh. Mr Milgate, and Ballan livestock farmer Scott Young as vice-president,
were the only nominations for the two positions, and were declared elected unopposed, meaning an election was not required. With the state election in November, Mr Milgate said he was well aware of the importance of his position. “It’s kind of like making my debut and coming on halfway through the third quarter in a grand final – it’s like ‘holy hell’,” he said. Mr Milgate said land-use conflict – whether concerning renewable energy, mining or transmission projects – was a key issue ahead of the election, as was the state of rural roads and regional infrastructure. “Investment in our regions and communities – whether it’s childcare,
healthcare or just investment to actually allow us to do what we do best – is a priority,” he said. “I mean, farmers really don’t like the government getting involved – we just want them to give us the frameworks and the tools and they can go away and let us do our job, and we do it pretty bloody well, but we just need them to actually give us the infrastructure to work with. “Leave us alone to do our thing, and if you need us, come and engage with us, but it’s a two-way conversation. “Rural Victoria is not just open land for development. It’s actually farming land. It’s growing food, and it’s been in families for generations. “What someone out of Spring Street
might see as an open, flat paddock is far from that in reality.” Mr Milgate said he was stepping out of his comfort zone to put his hand up for the role. “ I’ve had a lot of people who I really respect ring and say ‘you should have a go’, which I find very humbling. They’ve said ‘look, we think you would do a good job’,” he said. While his family and a farm employee will shoulder more of the workload on the farm near Minyip as he spends more time with the VFF, Mr Milgate said his role as VFF grains director – which he will step down from when his presidency begins – already regularly took him away from farm life. But he said he was far from assum-
ing the presidency role for himself or any political aspirations – his interests lie in creating the best possible future for the agricultural industry. “I’m not doing it for myself, I want to do the best for the industry. I want to do the best for my kids – they want to farm, and I want to make sure it’s at its best,” Mr Milgate said. “My grandfather had a lot of involvement in the VFF and my father has had huge involvement in the community – they’ve made our community what it is today.” Mr Milgate said the support he had received since the presidency announcement had been overwhelming and humbling. Continued page 3
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