August 7, 2016
The State Government must start listening to Queensland’s farming industry and scrap their proposed vegetation management laws, Deputy Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington said on Sunday.
She said the legislation would make it harder for farmers to run their properties and drive up housing prices.
Mrs Frecklington said the release of the Statewide Land Cover and Tree Study (SLATS) “proved Labor is continuing to ignore warnings from Queensland farmers who say these unfair laws will have a devastating effect on their livelihoods”.
“Our farmers are already facing the impacts of one of the worst droughts on record, the last thing they need are further setbacks brought about by a Labor Government that should be supporting them,” she said.
“The LNP had put in place fair, workable laws which had the right balance between protecting our environment and supporting our rural families.
“Instead, Labor’s proposal will take rights away from our farmers and make them criminals on their own land.
“It’s not just farmers who will be hurt by these laws, they will also drive up the cost of housing, making life harder for families and first home buyers.”
Ms Frecklington said Labor could not be trusted when it came to presenting the facts on statewide tree clearing.
“The release of the SLATS report is an attempt by Labor to justify their unfair laws despite widespread calls from people on the ground who say they just won’t work,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“It’s time the Palaszczuk Labor Government started listening to Queenslanders and supporting our farmers rather than hindering them.”
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Good journalism would also tell us about the proposed laws and exactly how these would effect people on the land. As it is you’ve told us nothing useful.
Thank you for your comment Graham. This is not the first information we have published about vegetation management, but we had failed to add the “Related links” at the foot of the story. These have now been added. For extensive information about this issue, I would refer you the report “Farmers Angered By Green Laws” which includes audio from the Town Common Hall meeting held in Kingaroy on the subject in May. – Anne Miller (Editor)