FARMERS say they remain 'deeply concerned' there are still large areas of agricultural land being wrongly targeted by the State Government's trigger mapping despite there being no evidence that rare or threatened plant species are growing there.
At meetings held this week between AgForce, the Department of Environment and Science, and the Queensland Herbarium, farmers say they were not confident their concerns were being responded to.
The meetings were the result of an earlier commitment by Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch to more fully engage with Queensland's primary producers following the calamitous way version 7.0 of the mapping was introduced.
Under that version of the mapping concrete and steel structures including Suncorp Stadium and the Gabba as well cultivated farm land, water storages, roads, airports and coal mines were all maps as having at risk vegetation.
If we take the conversation out the offices and from behind the computer screens, the reality on the ground is that many producers' land is still being incorrectly targeted.
- Michael Guerin, AgForce
Following a major outcry initiated by Boonah landholder Bruce Wagner the Palaszczuk government issuing an 'upgrade' to the initial release which reduced the 'protected' area by 36 per cent.
AgForce chief executive officer Michael Guerin said despite the minister's commitment to engage in conversation on the matter, it was clear the Government's vegetation mapping remained seriously flawed in its proposed intent to support endangered, vulnerable and near threatened plant species.
"If we take the conversation out the offices and from behind the computer screens, the reality on the ground is that many producers' land is still being incorrectly targeted," Mr Guerin said.
"The updated release was a start, but it was done so quickly - 36pc of the most obvious errors removed almost overnight - that it's impossible for anyone to trust the validity of the supporting science.
"Queensland landholders need assurances. They need to have confidence that the information being provided to them is accurate. They can't afford to wear the mistakes made by Government's sloppy mapping."
"Many of the producers I've spoken to are now unwilling to farm their own land for fear of doing the wrong thing and incurring a penalty of up to $400,000."
Boonah landholder Bruce Wagner said he was underwhelmed by the response from the DES officials during the two hour meeting on Wednesday.
"They spent virtually the whole meeting side batting the issues," Mr Wagner said.
"They have to start again with their mapping because there are just so many mistakes.
"It's not good enough to say it will be improved next year.
"This trigger mapping has to be chucked out because it is fundamentally flawed."
Mr Wagner is organising a protest march on Queensland's Parliament House on August 20, coinciding with the first sitting day.
Mr Guerin said problems were well demonstrated at a recent field day on Jim Becker's 3000ha property at Banana in Central Queensland, attended by about 100 producers.
"The irony is, those producers came together to discuss how they could save and propagate a rare flowering plant discovered near Jim's property on the verge of the Burnett Highway," Mr Guerin said.
"The plant isn't even on Jim's land, but the blue dot where the plant is located falls on top of his property.
"That means there are now restrictions on the management of the land beneath that blue dot, regardless of where the plant is.
"That's just one example. There are hundreds of others from our members right across the state.
"That's why this isn't the end of the conversation. Anyone who relies on the food and fibres produced in Queensland to feed and clothe themselves can't afford to walk away from this one."
