{"id":294863,"date":"2021-02-22T17:04:04","date_gmt":"2021-02-22T07:04:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=294863"},"modified":"2021-02-22T17:04:04","modified_gmt":"2021-02-22T07:04:04","slug":"reef-laws-an-abomination-agforce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2021\/02\/22\/reef-laws-an-abomination-agforce\/","title":{"rendered":"Reef Laws An Abomination: AgForce"},"content":{"rendered":"
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FLASHBACK: South Burnett farmers at a Reef Regulations briefing in Kingaroy earlier this month<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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AgForce CEO Mike Guerin (Photo: AgForce)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

February 22, 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Burnett-Mary catchment should not be included in State Government reef protection agricultural regulations, AgForce Qld CEO Michael Guerin says.<\/p>\n

But Mr Guerin also emphasised AgForce did not support any of the State Government’s agricultural\u00a0reef regulations.<\/p>\n

Speaking to southburnett.com.au<\/strong>, Mr Guerin said they were an “abomination” in their current form.<\/p>\n

“They do nothing for the environment and will destroy small businesses and small communities,” he said.<\/p>\n

“We are against them in their entirety.”<\/p>\n

However, if the reef regulations were implemented, Mr Guerin said the Burnett should not be included.<\/p>\n

“It’s just horrifying what’s going on,” he said.<\/p>\n

“We are absolutely opposed and for good reason.”<\/p>\n

Last week, AgForce sent the Office of the Great Barrier Reef a seven-page submission filled with what it describes as “well-considered, scientifically supported” examples of why it is opposed to the Agricultural Standards for the Great Barrier Reef.<\/strong><\/p>\n

General President – and Durong grazier – Georgie Somerset said the new “Draft Standards for New or Expanded Cropping” showed that “no matter\u00a0how much work agriculture does to improve its practices … we will never be green enough for some”.<\/p>\n

The release of the Draft Standards prompted a large turnout at a meeting at Kingaroy Town Hall on February 9.<\/p>\n

“If we can\u2019t then gain the respect we deserve through sheer hard work and on-farm improvements, we will continue to push government to recognise the science,” Mrs Somerset said.<\/p>\n

“Not the cherry-picked science that panders to WWF\u2019s (World Wide Fund for Nature) and others\u2019 political agendas and bias, but real, holistic, long-form science that tells the situation as it really is.<\/p>\n

“And if that doesn\u2019t work \u2013 which it currently isn\u2019t \u2013 we\u2019ll continue our calls for the Federal Government to establish an independent Office of Science Integrity to guarantee quality assurance of the science used to inform Reef policy.<\/p>\n

“Because industry has had enough. We are sick and tired of breaking our backs and being punished for it.<\/p>\n

“The most frustrating part is that if we could all work together \u2013 industry, government, environmental groups \u2013 we would achieve far more for the environment, for the Reef, than we are by playing the current ongoing blame game.”<\/p>\n

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QFF CEO Dr Georgina Davis (Photo: Twitter)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Meanwhile, the Queensland Farmers\u2019 Federation (QFF) has reiterated agriculture\u2019s commitment to securing the future of the Great Barrier Reef following the release of the 2019 Reef Water Quality Report Card.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Report Card assessed the results of all Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan actions reported up to June 2019 and found encouraging progress, particularly at a regional and catchment level, with improved practices leading to pollutant reductions.<\/p>\n

QFF CEO Dr Georgina Davis said that while climate change remained the greatest threat to the Reef, improving the quality of water flowing from the land to the sea was critical to reduce additional pressures and support the Reef\u2019s health and resilience.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Report Card makes clear that landholders are investing time and resources in programs that are delivering water quality benefits, with a 4.3 per cent reduction in dissolved inorganic nitrogen, the Reef\u2019s highest risk marine pollutant, a cumulative decrease of 25.5 per cent since 2013,\u201d Dr Davis said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese results are considered a conservative estimate of progress as projects are in different stages of implementation so not all activities undertaken during the reporting period are captured and much of the water quality improvement information published is a long way behind on farm and water-quality reality.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdditionally, the Report Card does not factor in the impact of severe and unavoidable weather events such as cyclones and droughts, which can quickly undo progress.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAgriculture has been, and remains committed to doing its bit for the Reef, and over the past few years there has been an exponential increase of farmer participation in Best Management Practice and other voluntary practice improvement programs working to minimise soil loss, fertiliser application and pesticide runoff.<\/p>\n

\u201cIncreased uptake of land management practices is required to continue this trajectory and meet the water quality targets.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr Davis said the Report card highlighted the need for further investment to continue momentum following the conclusion of the Reef Alliance\u2019s Growing a Great Barrier Reef (GGBR) project last year.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the GGBR project now concluded, government support is needed to ensure its ongoing legacy and continued capacity gains made towards long-term practice change across all Reef catchment areas and industries, while ensuring budgetary implications from COVID-19 do not hinder future progress.\u201d<\/p>\n