Bob Sercombe

Bob Sercombe is a retired Labor Party politician.

Sercombe was elected to represent the Labor Party in the Victorian parliament in October 1988 Resigned in February 1996. He was elected to the federal seat of Maribyrnong in March 1996 and held the seat until his retirement in the November 2007 election.

Life after parliament
In June 2010 The Age reported that Sercombe was involved with Sustainable Soils and Farms, a company which was chaired by former federal MP Neil O'Keefe and also involved both Sercombe and another former federal politician, Gavan O'Connor. Royce Millar reported "Their scheme? To transform groups of heavily irrigation-dependent dairy properties into water-efficient farms specialising in organic milk. Crucial to the scheme is the use of brown coal as a fertiliser to reduce the need for irrigation water, with technology championed by high-profile businessman and renowned political networker John White."

In June 2011, Irrigation Efficiency Partners Pty Ltd won a $32 million grant from the federal government's $300 million On-Farm Irrigation Efficiency Program. Royce Millar reported in The Age that "Irrigation Efficiency Partners was registered in March, just days before grant applications were due. Inquiries by The Age have revealed that one of the companies behind Irrigation Efficiency is Sustainable Soils and Farms, which includes among its shareholders Mr O'Keefe and former ALP colleagues Gavan O'Connor and Bob Sercombe." The following days Millar and Melissa Fyfe reported that Melbourne businessman John White was also a shareholder.

contact details
Website: http://www.bobsercombe.id.au/

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Australia and coal
 * Bangladesh and coal

External articles

 * "Analysts urge govt to net FDI for energy sector", Daily Star, June 8, 2011.