'Flexible' Tick Line Unveiled - southburnett.com.au

October 24, 2019

Property owners either side of the current Queensland tick line can now apply to either opt in or opt out of clean country.

Agriculture Minister Mark Furner said landholders could now apply to have the tick line moved in relation to their property’s location under a new system developed in consultation with producers and other livestock industry stakeholders.

Mr Furner said the more flexible approach was developed after 12 community meetings across the State.

“There has been overwhelming support for this new process where a landholder or group of landholders who believe their properties are not in the correct zone, can apply to be rezoned,” Mr Furner said.

“This approach allows for an ongoing review process at any given time, instead of having a fixed review every few years.

“Those applying to have their zoning status changed will need to meet a range of detailed criteria to ensure any changes achieve a strong, sustainable tick line for Queensland.”

Mr Furner said the current Queensland cattle tick line was established in 2016 followed by a commitment to reviewing its operation after two years.

“At the time, a number of properties were included in each of the zones that were not the preferred option of the property owners,” he said.

“This included areas being included in the cattle tick free zone with a high level of infestation, and vice versa.

“We recognise that a one size fits all approach doesn’t work for everybody and that’s why we’ve developed this more flexible system to better accommodate producers’ varying circumstances.

“To achieve this, we partnered with AgForce to conduct a series of seminars in 2018 attended by more than 300 producers, followed by further meetings this year.

“I established the Cattle Tick Line Review Working Group, which included members from AgForce, Queensland Dairyfarmers Organisation, Animal Health Australia, Australian Livestock and Property Agents and a private landholder.

“These members provided invaluable advice and guidance for the development of this policy and they are to be commended for their contribution.”