June 24, 2026
The Nationals have warned Queensland farmers will be facing billions of dollars in new costs when the next phase of Federal Government land-clearing laws come into effect on July 1.
Nationals leader Matt Canavan said an AgForce report highlighted the burdens farmers faced due to Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) changes.
Senator Canavan said the AgForce report estimated the regulatory cost per business for referral and annual compliance could be as much $139,000 per referral.
This would be an ongoing cumulative cost of $3.5 billion to Queensland agriculture per year.
The report also estimated a $5.87 billion in permanent reduction of Queensland farmland value due to the changes in the continuous use exemption for land-clearing.
The amendments place conditions on landholders managing regrowth, including vegetation older than 15 years.
Senator Canavan said the rushed EPBC Act reforms had resulted in poorly designed regulations which would not always deliver better environmental outcomes.
“The EPBC framework was originally designed to assess one-off development proposals, not the cyclical and ongoing land management activities that occur as part of normal agricultural production,” he said.
“Farmers are extremely concerned they are unintentionally breaking the law, with limited to no information to assist in making decisions. It has resulted in genuine fears farmers could get taken to court and be put out of business.
“If this is just Queensland, imagine the impact on the rest of the nation.
“This also comes after Senate Estimates revealed the impacts, costs, nor environmental outcomes of the EPBC reforms haven’t been modelled, after a last minute deal with the Greens.”
AgForce general president Shane McCarthy said AgForce was concerned a regulatory impact statement into how the changes could affect farmers, regional communities, food security and food sovereignty was not conducted.
“Producers should be encouraged to actively manage weeds, invasive regrowth, fire risk and land condition,” Mr McCarthy said.
“If regulation creates uncertainty around those activities, there is a real risk of achieving outcomes that are worse for both the environment and agricultural productivity.”
- External link: EPBC Act Reforms (AgForce)
