Veg laws show Labor’s contempt for rural Qld

By Grant Maudsley, Agforce General President
Updated March 21 2018 - 4:28pm, first published 1:40pm

The Palaszczuk Government is demonstrating its contempt for rural Queenslanders with the rushed and ridiculous way they are ramming through proposed new vegetation management laws that will have a massive impact on food and fibre production in this state.

The Parliamentary committee’s public hearing schedule is an absolute joke with five hearings jammed into just three days next week.

Despite the claims made by the Natural Resources Minister, these are not the same laws rejected by the Queensland Parliament in 2016 re-introduced again. They are far worse and go much further.

These laws are the worst of both worlds. The changes will make it harder for farmers to grow food and they won’t deliver the best environmental outcomes either.

It also seems the Palaszczuk Government has no idea how the laws will work on the ground and the interactions between the different codes, with very little practical information provided to both farmers and regional departmental staff to understand what is being proposed.

What we do know is the laws will make it more difficult for farmers to ensure the right balance of trees and grass on their properties to reduce erosion and maintain productivity.

The proposed codes could also see farmers’ costs for routine management practices skyrocket and be subjected to lengthy delays, which could make some businesses unviable.

AgForce has opposed these harsh and unnecessary new laws every step of the way – before, during and since the State Election campaign – and we will continue to do so.

We need your help to send a strong message to the politicians about what we think of these laws and how the changes will impact on our individual properties and the sustainable management of our land.

I urge all rural Queenslanders and anyone concerned about the future of agriculture in this state to attend these hearings, give evidence and hold respectful but robust protests so the Labor politicians on the committee are left in no doubt about what farmers think of these proposed laws.

Now is the time to stand up and be heard.

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