Grazier Greg Heffernan (pictured) became particularly wary of the dangers posed by his 70 horsepower Massey Ferguson tractor when he started teaching his children how to operate the heavy machine.
“It’s got a roll bar, but it doesn’t have a cabin,” he said, which leaves the driver more exposed if something goes awry.
The Beveridge farmer runs cattle on his 220-hectare property just off the Hume Highway, a spot that hit national headlines in the run-up to the federal election five years ago when Mr Heffernan used a plough to carve ‘ALP OUT’ in screaming capitals.
He ploughed the letters using his tractor but described the exercise as extremely dangerous.
He’s now keen to spread the message about taking extra care around tractors following the release of state government figures that show more than 10 farmers are injured every week on Victorian farms.
National Farm Safety Week starts July 20, and the state government is urging farmers to be cautious when using heavy machinery.
Details: www.farmsafe.org.au
