Land and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2022

As committee chair, supports the bill which modernises resources regulatory framework, streamlines land lease processes, and improves stock route management for local governments.

“The Transport and Resources Committee inquired into this bill and tabled our report a while back. We made three recommendations, including that the bill be passed.”— 2023-02-23View Hansard

As Minister for Resources, introduced and moved the bill, outlining its benefits for defence training sites, stock route management reforms, vegetation management streamlining, and land administration modernisation.

“This omnibus bill will improve land related legislation to support the creation of good new jobs, make processes more streamlined and contemporary, and facilitate better stakeholder outcomes to drive economic development.”— 2023-02-22View Hansard

Welcomes stock route amendments but criticises poor explanatory notes and raises concerns about vegetation management changes affecting landholders' business certainty.

“The bill makes substantial changes to the operation of Queensland stock routes and, like AgForce and the Local Government Association of Queensland, I welcome these amendments.”— 2023-02-23View Hansard

As shadow minister, spoke extensively on the bill's provisions including stock route reforms and vegetation management amendments, noting the long-awaited nature of the stock route legislation reforms. Confirmed the opposition will not oppose the bill.

“Despite this, we will not be opposing the bill. As I stated earlier, this is a long-awaited reform of the stock route legislation—the third attempt, as I understand it—so we will be supporting the bill.”— 2023-02-22View Hansard

Supports amendments to the Central Queensland Coal Associates Agreement Act to enable BHP Mitsubishi Alliance to sell coalmines, noting this was requested by the companies in 2019 before royalty changes.

“The government has no specific objection to them doing so provided they meet their obligations to the community, to their workers and to the environment.”— 2023-02-23View Hansard

Supports the bill but criticises the government for poor explanatory notes and the attempted sneaky vegetation management amendment in clause 94, which the committee recommended be removed.

“As the minister has now foreshadowed that the government will accept the committee recommendation to omit clause 94 in full, I therefore support the bill.”— 2023-02-23View Hansard

Supports the bill as a former Townsville councillor, highlighting benefits for local government management of stock routes and support for the Australia-Singapore Military Training Initiative at Greenvale.

“This bill addresses many important issues: leasing, freeholding of land, land acquisition, what technology is used for surveying and mapping, stock routes and much more. This bill is a game changer for so many.”— 2023-02-23View Hansard

Supports the stock route reforms and acknowledges LGAQ advocacy, noting councils will benefit from retaining permit fees to better manage the 2.6 million hectare network.

“I also encourage local governments to look at public-private partnerships with local landholders to reduce the management and infrastructure costs on stock routes.”— 2023-02-23View Hansard

Supports the bill as modernising land administration, improving stock route cost recovery for local governments, and facilitating the Australia-Singapore Military Training Initiative.

“While the amendments proposed in this bill are minor and administrative in nature, they are nonetheless important in support of the Palaszczuk government's commitment to economic recovery.”— 2023-02-23View Hansard

Supports the bill especially for stock route fee retention by local governments, but criticises clause 94 vegetation management changes as a sneaky attempt to avoid parliamentary scrutiny.

“Stock routes are not there to encourage—what did he call them—the big beef barons. The stock routes have been around for a very long time... they are called that because when you cannot graze your stock on your own land because drought has you in the grip.”— 2023-02-23View Hansard

As Agriculture Minister, strongly supports stock route amendments that will help local governments better manage and maintain Queensland's 72,000 kilometres of stock routes.

“The Palaszczuk government is backing Queensland farmers and this bill is further evidence that we listen to our rural communities and stakeholders to make necessary changes, because that is what good governments do.”— 2023-02-23View Hansard

Cannot support the bill due to provisions streamlining privatisation of public land and reducing transparency around ecosystem conservation status, though supports some stock route changes.

“Unlike this government, the Greens do not support giving away public land to mining corporations and multimillionaire cattle barons. This is land that should belong to all Queenslanders and should remain in the hands of Queenslanders.”— 2023-02-23View Hansard

Supports the bill, speaking to the historical importance of stock routes dating back to the 1860s and their continued value for cultural heritage and agricultural sector support.

“Today the legacy of Queensland's stock routes lives on in many ways. Many of our old droving trails have been preserved as heritage sites or tourist attractions.”— 2023-02-23View Hansard

Supports the bill as continuing the work of former LNP minister Andrew Cripps on lease-to-freehold conversions, and praises stock route reforms while criticising the attempted clause 94 vegetation management changes.

“What the former minister did was so important that even now, eight years later, it is being copied and extended by this government.”— 2023-02-23View Hansard

As Assistant Minister for Local Government, supports the stock route amendments as the culmination of years of consultation with councils, mayors and stakeholders.

“The changes to this act are a result of extensive stakeholder consultation over many years. The creation of a better funded network will provide improved outcomes for drovers, graziers and others who rely on the network.”— 2023-02-23View Hansard

Supports the bill but criticises the vegetation management changes that were properly removed, calling them a sneaky underhanded attempt that united both EDO and AgForce in opposition.

“When the EDO and AgForce are united in their opposition to something, it shows how bad an idea it is. This should never have been considered, let alone included in legislation before this House.”— 2023-02-23View Hansard

Supports the bill and explains stock routes in terms inner-city constituents can understand, noting the legislation simplifies processes for state and local governments managing the network.

“The aim of this legislation—I know that it is something that has been fought for for a long time—is to simplify the processes for state and local governments, which are the day-to-day managers of the network.”— 2023-02-23View Hansard

Supports the bill's principles but heavily criticises the flawed process including the sneaky clause 94 vegetation management attempt, incompetent explanatory notes, and need to set aside standing orders to fix contradictions.

“When we strip away all the poor drafting, bad explanatory notes, contrary points of view and everything else, the bill has some worthy elements that we can all support, and I do.”— 2023-02-23View Hansard

Supports the bill as enhancing economic growth through modernised land administration, improved lease-to-freehold conversion pathways, and better stock route cost recovery for local governments.

“This bill is a necessary bill to enhance the economic growth of our state. It is a bill that I am proud to be able to support.”— 2023-02-23View Hansard

Supports the committee's recommendation on vegetation management changes remaining in regulation, and welcomes chief executive's ability to be more proactive on lease conversions and trustee permits.

“I support the committee's recommendation around the proposed changes to the Vegetation Management Act and that any changes should remain with the Vegetation Management Regulation.”— 2023-02-23View Hansard

Supports the bill's provisions for proactive lease-to-freehold conversion offers and stock route management changes that will be welcomed by local governments, drovers and graziers.

“I am sure these changes to the Stock Route Management Act 2022 will be welcomed by local governments who are currently required to manage stock routes, the drovers who use them and the graziers whose stock is moved along this vast network.”— 2023-02-23View Hansard

Supports the bill but emphasises need for accurate vegetation mapping to protect water quality, and stresses importance of regional newspapers receiving government advertising for notices.

“It is certainly something which is coming up in my area on regular occasions that residents will dispute mapping of a certain type of vegetation on their properties when they can clearly demonstrate that it is not that type of vegetation.”— 2023-02-23View Hansard