THE Palaszczuk Government’s new vegetation management laws are planned to be retrospective from March 17, adding weight to the claim that the Vegetation Management (Reinstatement) Amendment Bill goes far beyond draconian laws imposed by successive Beattie and Bligh governments.
Opposition natural resources spokesman Andrew Cripps said Labor's Bill had obviously been shaped by extreme green groups and went much further than simply overturning amendments put in place by the former LNP Government in 2013.
“The provisions are much more extensive and aggressive, and this will be a new level of pain for the bush," Mr Cripps said.
The controversial bill by passed in parliament last night when independent speaker Peter Wellington was forced to use his casting vote to break the deadlock. Mr Wellington ultimately sided with Labor allowing the bill to pass its first reading and be sent to the Agriculture, Resources and Environment Committee for scrutiny.
However, while Labor wanted the committee to report back to parliament by April 15, the LNP opposition was able to gain the support of the Katter Party and the two independents Billy Gordon and Rob Pyne to establish a June 30 deadline.
Mr Cripps said Labor’s proposed laws were retrospective to March 17 and although not yet passed by Parliament, would immediately shut-down farm management and development and apply a brake on investment and job-creation across Queensland.
“For example, Category R vegetation management restrictions are proposed to be extended into the eastern Cape York Peninsula, Fitzroy and Burnett/Mary regions, impacting on thousands of rural landholders for the first time," he said.
“Labor's Bill throws out the critically important High Value Agriculture and High Value Irrigated Agriculture pathways for the sustainable expansion of Queensland's agriculture sector, bringing future growth in rural Queensland to a screaming halt.
“Freehold landholders will lose the ability to manage their regrowth vegetation, while severe breaches of civil liberties make an inglorious return, including the re-instatement of reversal of the onus of proof – meaning farmers will again be considered guilty until proven innocent.”
The Queensland Property Industry Council has also spoken out on the issue.
Property Council of Australia’s Queensland executive director Chris Mountford said there had been no consultation with the property industry on urban development and housing costs.
“The reality is that it (Labor’s laws) will directly affect the cost of housing in urban areas, like South East Queensland,” Mr Mountford said in a statement.
“These proposed laws actually go well beyond reversing the changes made to the Vegetation Management Act by the previous government.”
The new vegetation management laws have been strongly supported by Labor-aligned extreme green groups which provided political support to the Palaszczuk Government during the January 2015 election.
