The Vegetation Management Framework Amendment Bill 2013, which was first introduced in March by the minister for mines and natural resources Andrew Cripps and was passed by Queensland Parliament this week, will see layers of unnecessary “green tape” imposed on landowners removed.
The new provisions will free drought-hit farmers up from some environmental restrictions and allow them to temporarily graze their cattle in national parks.
President for the agricultural levy body AgForce Queensland Ian Burnett said the changes made to the Bill will see balance between environmental outcomes and food production. He also said it was one of the “most sensible legislative changes made by a state government in more than 20 years”.
“Minister Cripps, deputy premier Jeff Seeney and premier Campbell Newman are to be applauded for this move to instate a rational and balanced operating environment for our primary producers, as opposed to the skewed laws that were in place over the past 14 years,” Burnett said.
He also outlined the fact that primary producers in the area were aware of their responsibilities to care for the environment, to look after the land and waterways, and to do so in a way that would protect it for future generations and businesses.
Burnett also highlighted that AgForce members had played in the advocating the changes, through vocally supporting the Bill and providing submissions to the Parliamentary Committee. “The Bill will simply remove arduous administrative burdens that, since their inception, have resulted in no real on-the-ground environmental outcomes,” he said.
Burnett added: “Queensland primary producers are widely recognised as some of the best in the world and agriculture is an industry all Queenslanders should be proud of. Today we have seen recognition of our farmers as responsible custodians of our land and a restoration of balance to what has been a virtually untenable framework.
“From here, producers will be able to focus on what they do best, which is produce food for our communities and an ever-growing world population.”