Legislation changes around the management of Queensland's stock route networks have passed in parliament overnight.
Among the alterations in the Land and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2022 is the fact future fees will go directly to local councils, rather than the current 50/50 split to the state government and councils.
An application fee will also go to local councils, able to be waived in times of drought.
Minister for Resources Scott Stewart MP said the amendments were focused on creating a better funded network that provided improved outcomes for drovers, graziers and other users that rely on the network.
"Currently, local governments recover less than five per cent of the cost of managing and administering the stock route network through the collection of permitted fees," he told Parliament.
"This is not sustainable and means that local ratepayers largely subsidise commercial users of that network.
"These important changes in the fee structure, combined with proposed revisions 196 Land and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 22 Feb 2023 to permit fees consulted on for the remake of the Stock Route Management Regulation, mean that fees are estimated to recover 38 per cent of the cost of local councils managing that network.
"Local governments will continue to be required to reinvest this money into administration, maintenance or improvement of the network."
Shadow Minister for Agriculture Tony Perrett told Parliament the bill had been a long time coming.
A major talking point was vegetation management within the bill.
The Resources Minister revisited a proposed amendment to certify the regulation vegetation status rather than it being included in the Vegetation Management Regulation.
As the clause was omitted in full, the bill garnered support from a number of MPs.
Trevor Watts, Member for Toowoomba North, said it was alarming that a bill so long-awaited by industry included the desperate attempt at amending vegetation management regulations without proper scrutiny
Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington told Parliament the amendment was going to be snuck in under the cover of darkness.
"There was no consultation. It was just slipped on in there," she said.
"That shows the importance of the committee process."
- More to come.
Lucy Kinbacher
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
