Government delays Queensland Stock Route Management Strategy discussion paper

Following a series of consultation meetings, Queensland Country Life reported in November 2019 the state government would release the paper in early 2020.

The opposition says the repeated delays are yet another example of the government "kicking the can".

One of the biggest users of the stock route is boss drover Bill Little, who said so far there had not been enough consultation on the stock route review and there were many concerning issues that need to be discussed.

"We need an elected board with people who know how the route works and are all striving for the same goals," Mr Little said.

"Stock routes differ in each shire as some local governments have a different interpretation on how they should be used and maintained."

Mr Little has just travelled through the Isaac, Central Highlands and Banana Shires and said noxious weeds are rampant.

"The stock route is the greatest national park in the world and the environment needs to be protected as it belongs to everyone," he said.

Mr Little is very critical of the current exclusion fencing as corridors of the stock route are being fenced off.

"I call them wildlife fences and they should not be there as these stock routes need to be kept open for wildlife to travel," he said.

In an estimates hearing earlier this month, Natural Resources Minister Scott Stewart said the draft was still being worked on and would be available for stakeholders in early 2021.

The existing legislation, the Queensland Stock Route Management Strategy, expired in 2019 and has been extended until August 2021 while the new strategy is formed.

"A final regulatory discussion paper will be available for public and stakeholder consultation in early 2021," Mr Stewart said.

"The finalised Queensland stock route management network strategy will be available for stakeholders in early 2021. These two documents will be released in due course."

Mr Little attended consultation meetings last year in Longreach and said he hadn't heard from DNRME since last October when he and fellow drover Tony Purcell invited themselves to Brisbane meetings.

LNP natural resources spokesman Pat Weir said Labor's Queensland Stock Route Management Bill had been sitting on a shelf gathering dust since 2016 after it was roundly criticised by the parliamentary committee.

Mr Little agreed, saying it was knocked back twice in parliament and not passed as the then minister didn't want to get involved.

Mr Weir said Queensland livestock producers and drovers need a modern stock management plan and it was clear this had been put into the 'too hard' basket by the Labor government.