As the debate continues over the East Gippsland Shire’s draft Rural Land Use Strategy (RLUS) Bengworden farmer, Trevor Caithness, has come out in its support. 
Mr Caithness and his family run beef on broad acreage, alongside dry land cropping, through the Red Gum Plains, west of Bairnsdale.
He admits that the family farming business “operates on a scale we’ve been fortunate to have created over the last 20 years”.
“We’re passionate about food production”, he told a council meeting last week, which comprised opponents to the draft RLUS in the public gallery.
Mr Caithness sits on the Agriculture Sector Advisory Committee and said the committee had looked over the draft and “considers that for the good of agriculture within our region, this is something that should be truly considered”.
Addressing the council meeting, Mr Caithness divulged that the family farm comprises 11 titles under 40 hectares.

IMAGE: Bengworden farmer, Trevor Caithness, supports the East Gippsland Shire’s draft Rural Land Use Strategy.