Jan Cameron launches Save the Farm website in VDL sale fight

TASMANIANS  are  shortsighted and do not understand the value of their assets, says local businesswoman Jan Cameron.

business woman Jan Cameron at a press conference on the sale of VDL Co. at Parliament House lawns in Hobart. Picture: SAM ROSEWARNE

TASMANIANS  are  shortsighted and do not understand the value of their assets, says local businesswoman Jan Cameron as she tries to thwart a Chinese bid for the country’s largest dairy.

As North-West mayor Daryl Quilliam threw his support behind Chinese billionaire Lu Xianfeng’s plan to buy Van Diemen’s Land Company in Tasmania’s North-West, Ms Cameron launched a website called Save the Farm, calling on Australians to pressure the Federal Government to stop the sale.

The $280 million offer by Mr Lu’s Moon Lake Investments has been accepted by the dairy owner, New Zealand’s New Plymouth DistrictCouncil, but is subject to Foreign Investment Review Board approval.

“Considering Mr Lu intends to keep the management and operation of farm as is, we are confident that the Circular Head community also backs his investment in the property,” Cr Quilliam said.

Ms Cameron has promised to underwrite a comparable offer and is rallying support from other investors, who she hopes will be encouraged by the success of Tasmanian baby formula producer Bellamy’s, which has soared to a market value of more than $1 billion since listing on the Australian stock market in 2014.

“If you look at the shareholder list of Bellamy’s, you could probably say a lot of those entities would be interested in coming on board,” Ms Cameron said.

While Mr Lu wants to expand production, Ms Cameron said she would increase the value of VDL by focusing on high-end products including double cream, premium ice cream and baby formula.

“If you are dealing with a commodity product, you might have some success initially but then the rest of the world is going to cotton on and do it cheaper,” she said.

“There’s a way of increasing employment and income other than expansion and that’s by clever commercialisation.

“I think Tasmanians are so shortsighted. They don’t understand the assets they’ve got or how to use them.”

Since it began in 1842, VDL, which includes 25 dairy farms at Woolnorth and around Circular Head, has never been owned by Australians.