AgForce say it is vital for landholders to stand up against Labor’s proposed land management laws.
AgForce CEO Mike Guerin and general president Grant Maudsley spoke to a crowd of 30 to 40 landholders ahead of a Wednesday hearing into Labor’s proposed land management act changes inside Cloncurry Shire Hall.
Mr Guerin said Labor had taken no notice of AgForce concerns when drafting the bill.
“The scary thing about these laws is that it takes all of the trust away from the landholders,” Mr Geurin said.
The scary thing about these laws is that it takes all of the trust away from the landholders
- Mike Guerin
“Those of us who have lived on the land all of our lives care about the environment and care about good landscape outcomes.”
Mr Maudsley said it was important for the voice of landholders to be heard and the issue was about more than saving a few koalas in the south east corner.
"These laws are the worst of both worlds. The Palaszczuk Government will make it harder for farmers to grow food and they won't deliver the best environmental outcomes either," Mr Maudsley said.
"At a time when global demand for our great food and fibre is at all-time high, these laws will shut down new agricultural development opportunities in Queensland.”
Inside the hearing two mayors gave evidence, Cloncurry’s Greg Campbell and Flinders Jane McNamara.
Cr Campbell said the Bill was a kneejerk reaction to appease a Green minority in the city.
“This bill will make it harder for landholders to improve productivity,” Cr Campbell said.
Cr McNamara gave a rundown on the irrigation project the council was hoping to get up near Hughenden.
Anne Allison of Southern Gulf NRM admitted she would have liked to have seen more consultation ahead of the bill a point taken up by AgForce regional manager Vol Norris in his testimony.
Three landholders Lloyd Hick (Thorntonia), Russell Pearson (Bull Creek) and Michael Crisp (Lorraine Pastoral Company) also spoke at length about the potential negative impact to their businesses.