Staff cuts were announced in early August, with the announcement impacting on several regional areas, including Stawell.

North West chairman, Cr Reid Mather, said the group had been angered by the cuts to DPI staff across the region that have been made without consultation and without any thought of the social impacts upon the communities where these employees work.

``In one community alone 16 staff will be lost,'' Cr Mather said.

``For the local school this will mean 24 students less as the families are relocated to other areas for work.''

He said of great concern is the loss of the research that has been a mainstay of the Department over many years and has produced some important innovations in agriculture. There is a continuing concentration of resources into regional centres.

``We will be seeking a delegation to the Premier Mr Brumby and the Minister of Agriculture Joe Helper to put our case for retention of the DPI staff,'' Cr Mather said,

``We understand the need for efficiencies but why is it at the expense of rural Victoria. The Government claims to support regional and rural Victoria, but if you continue to remove services, what incentive is there for people to want to settle here?

``The Government is saying one thing and doing another and this is confusing and frustrating our communities. If they are really committed to rural Victoria then let their actions reflect the rhetoric and give us an increase in services, show us they are genuine in their support.

``We want to change their minds and will be pursuing every avenue to do this. This is too important to let slip and I think the Government has underestimated the feeling of our communities and the wider social and economic benefits that the staff that we are losing bring to the communities in which they live.''