Vegetation Management and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2018

As Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy, moved the bill and argued it was necessary to address unsustainable clearing rates, protect the Great Barrier Reef, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions while still allowing farmers to conduct necessary clearing for farm operations.

“The current rate of tree clearing in Queensland is not sustainable. If this clearing continues, it will increase the rate of extinction of native wildlife; it will put jobs and businesses reliant on the land and the Great Barrier Reef at risk; it will drive up Australia's greenhouse gas emissions.”— 2018-05-01View Hansard

As shadow minister, announced the LNP would oppose the bill. Argued it was not based on facts, lacked consultation with agricultural groups, and was built on flawed science and extreme green ideology that would harm farmers and regional communities.

“At the outset I say that the LNP will be opposing this bill... This bill is not based on facts; it is built upon a rotting foundation of extreme green ideology, shonky science and an ugly manifestation of the city-country divide.”— 2018-05-01View Hansard

As committee member, argued the legislation would put a stranglehold on landowners' ability to develop their properties and criticised the lack of consultation with agricultural stakeholders.

“There is no part of this legislation that will in any way further agricultural industry development in this state. It is quite the opposite. This legislation will put a stranglehold on the ability for the vast majority of landowners in this state to further develop or enhance their properties.”— 2018-05-01View Hansard

Argued the bill would destroy Queensland's agricultural heritage and future opportunity, and that restricting local food production would shift responsibility to countries with lower environmental standards.

“This bill might as well be called the anti-Queensland food and fibre bill, because that is exactly what those opposite are hell-bent on achieving.”— 2018-05-01View Hansard

As committee chair, spoke in favour of the bill, arguing vegetation is being cleared at an unsustainable rate of 400,000 hectares per year and the bill is necessary to protect the Great Barrier Reef and address climate change.

“The figures show that we are clearing vegetation in Queensland at an unsustainable rate: 400,000 hectares a year, an increase of 33 per cent from 2014-15. It is the highest clearing rate since 2003-04.”— 2018-05-01View Hansard

As committee member, criticised the constrained time frame for examining the bill and was disappointed the committee report did not recommend any amendments despite hearing from affected communities.

“The significance of this proposed legislation on the agricultural industry was deserving of a much more wholesome engagement and many submitters expressed their anger and disappointment at this constrained time frame.”— 2018-05-01View Hansard

As committee member, argued the legislation is fundamentally flawed, based on toxic ideology rather than fact, and that the rushed process ignored 13,000 submissions from Queenslanders.

“This legislation is fundamentally flawed and it should not be passed. At its heart, this legislation is based on toxic ideology rather than fact.”— 2018-05-01View Hansard

Representing a community on the doorstep of the Great Barrier Reef, argued the bill is critical to protecting the reef and the tens of thousands of jobs that depend on it, and delivers on the government's election commitment.

“The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on earth... The Palaszczuk government's Vegetation Management and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2018 is critical to protecting the reef.”— 2018-05-01View Hansard

Expressed vehement opposition, arguing the bill is ill-informed and irresponsible with no scientific justification, and that the science behind it is wrong, using flawed computer-generated algorithms.

“I rise today to put on the public record my vehement opposition to the Vegetation Management and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2018. This bill is ill-informed, it is irresponsible and it will cause irreparable damage to the agricultural sector in Queensland.”— 2018-05-01View Hansard

Spoke in favour, arguing the government had been clear about its intention to introduce this legislation during the election campaign and that it was necessary to address reckless land clearing threatening Queensland's biodiversity and the reef.

“We know that these weak laws are threatening Queensland's biodiversity, damaging the Great Barrier Reef and impeding upon our efforts in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Labor has vowed to repeal the Newman government's reckless position on tree clearing.”— 2018-05-01View Hansard

Argued the bill is a direct attack on rural property rights, violating fundamental principles of real property law and the absolute ownership rights granted to freehold title holders.

“The Vegetation Management and Other Legislation Amendment Bill is a direct attack on the rights and interests of rural people in Queensland. The Land Title Act clearly gives total and absolute security and tenure and absolute ownership rights to the holder of freehold title.”— 2018-05-01View Hansard

As committee member, spoke in support, noting the bill honours the government's election commitment to reinstate nation-leading tree-clearing laws and delivers on promises made at both the 2015 and 2017 elections.

“When on 8 March 2018 the Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy introduced the Vegetation Management and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2018 he honoured a commitment made at the last election by the Labor government to reinstate nation-leading tree-clearing laws in Queensland.”— 2018-05-01View Hansard

Opposed the bill, highlighting the impact on rural communities including graziers, small business owners and children who want a future in agriculture, and supported common-sense amendments proposed by the shadow minister.

“I rise to oppose the bill. Today, we have heard about the impacts that this bill will have on rural and regional communities. We saw the faces of the people outside this building—not just the graziers but also the small business owners and the kids who want a future.”— 2018-05-01View Hansard

Opposed the bill, arguing it was driven by Labor's desire for Greens preferences rather than genuine concern for farmers, and criticised the Premier for not meeting with protesting farmers.

“Those members opposite have an ideological feeling about what they should do because they made a promise at an election to garner Greens preferences. That is what this bill is all about—Greens preferences. Those members opposite do not care one iota about our farmers.”— 2018-05-01View Hansard

Opposed the bill on grounds of property rights, investment confidence, and argued it was political appeasement of the activist green movement holding rural industries hostage.

“This is about property rights, investment confidence in our agricultural industries, trust between farmers and the government, the future of food and fibre production, and empowering Indigenous Australians to break out of poverty. It is also about the political appeasement of the activist green movement.”— 2018-05-01View Hansard

Opposed the bill, arguing the government was bullying farmers by putting politics before people and that agricultural groups were not consulted about the legislation.

“In our community we hear so much about bullying, so how do we allow this to happen to our farmers? This government is bullying farmers because it puts politics before people.”— 2018-05-01View Hansard

As committee member, spoke in support and noted the legislation gets the balance right by allowing farmers to continue harvesting mulga for fodder while moving to end broadscale land clearing.

“I am pleased that this legislation gets the balance right and allows farmers to continue harvesting mulga for fodder while also moving to put an end to broadscale land clearing.”— 2018-05-01View Hansard

Opposed the bill on property rights grounds, arguing that taking away property rights is fundamental to democracy and comparing the approach to that of Russia or China.

“One of those perspectives—something that is fundamental to the functioning of our democracy—is property rights. This House must recognise people's property rights. As soon as this House starts taking away people's property rights, we find ourselves in a position that is much more akin to Russia or China.”— 2018-05-01View Hansard

Opposed the bill as one of the most anti-farmer documents ever presented to parliament, arguing farmers are best environmentalists and the legislation causes significant mental health distress in rural communities.

“The current legislation before us goes far beyond what even Beattie could have dreamed of and is one of the most anti-farmer, anti-agriculture and anti-rural documents ever presented to the Queensland parliament.”— 2018-05-01View Hansard

Spoke in support, emphasising the environmental and ecological values of regrowth vegetation in managing erosion, providing habitat, and creating wildlife corridors.

“We know that regrowth vegetation provides a range of environmental and ecological values. It assists in managing erosion and reducing the amount of sediment and nutrients entering waterways; it provides shelter for domestic stock; and it provides habitat, including food resources for fauna.”— 2018-05-01View Hansard

Opposed the bill as a massive assault on property rights and unprovoked attack on farmers that will cause catastrophic economic impacts on food and fibre producers in her electorate.

“This bill—this legislation—will cause catastrophic economic impacts on the hardworking food and fibre producers and the rural and regional communities in my electorate. This is a massive assault on property rights and it is a totally unprovoked attack on farmers and their families.”— 2018-05-01View Hansard

As new member speaking to his first bill, expressed anguish that there seemed to be a predetermined outcome. Argued the science behind the bill is flawed and the LNP has a strong record on reef protection.

“I am absolutely amazed at the government rushing this bill into this chamber. Not allowing adequate consultation on such an important issue can only be interpreted as arrogance... I have come to the conclusion that our Queensland community is being hoodwinked by a government that is set on delivering laws based on ideology, not facts and science.”— 2018-05-01View Hansard