Nature Conservation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2015

Moved the second reading as Minister for Environment, arguing the bill restores proper protections for national parks by reinstating conservation of nature as the act's primary purpose and reverting rolling term leases to term leases.

“We must set a global standard for protecting these places so tourists keep coming here safe in the knowledge that they are visiting a state that appreciates and conserves its natural icons.”— 2016-05-10View Hansard

Opposed the bill as shadow minister, arguing it reverses good LNP policy without offering new solutions, devastates generational farming families by removing rolling term leases, and threatens ecotourism and educational access to parks.

“This is devastating to the generational farming families whose livelihoods will be destroyed by an out-of-touch government controlled by extreme ideological views.”— 2016-05-10View Hansard

Supported the bill as a committee member, endorsing the restoration of conservation of nature as the act's primary purpose while continuing to recognise Indigenous involvement in park management.

“The conservation of nature needs to be returned as the primary purpose of the Nature Conservation Act so that the purpose of the act is clear.”— 2016-05-10View Hansard

Opposed the bill as former Minister for National Parks, arguing Labor has a poor record of park management and the bill will not deliver any meaningful conservation outcomes while stifling ecotourism opportunities.

“This bill will not bring more rangers to look after our protected areas; it will not introduce innovative ways to address weed and pest issues; it will not introduce hero projects to help look after endangered species.”— 2016-05-10View Hansard

Supported the bill, arguing grazing on national parks causes substantial compaction and erosion to native habitats and is inconsistent with the management principles of national parks.

“It is therefore unreasonable to continue to allow cattle to graze in national parks.”— 2016-05-10View Hansard

Opposed the bill, arguing it would jeopardise hardworking Queenslanders' rights, reduce Indigenous economic self-determination, and was motivated by Greens preference deals rather than genuine environmental protection.

“Unfortunately, this bill has absolutely nothing to do with the protection of our environment. It is more about protecting Greens preference deals in the future.”— 2016-05-10View Hansard

Opposed the bill as Deputy Leader of the Opposition, recounting specific farming families like the Lohse, Mayne and Day families whose livelihoods would be destroyed by the removal of rolling term leases.

“I wonder how members opposite, like the minister, would feel if I said to them that their home was no longer theirs and part of their business was going to be closed down because the government decided to do so.”— 2016-05-10View Hansard

Supported the bill, arguing that conversion to rolling term leases created incorrect expectations among leaseholders and that the appeal rights are not materially affected by the reversion to term leases.

“It is logical that decisions about grazing on these protected areas are made based on contemporary information, not 20 years in advance.”— 2016-05-10View Hansard

Opposed the bill, citing the potential loss of up to 78 agricultural leases, the importance of cattle for weed control at Cromarty Wetlands, and concerns about sole decision-making power resting with a department head with no right of appeal.

“A key component of any management plan is local input from residents, graziers, tourism operators, National Parks staff and local Indigenous groups who live in the area, understand the area and are best situated to provide the necessary advice on how the park should be managed, not some bureaucrat in Brisbane.”— 2016-05-10View Hansard

Supported the bill as acting committee chair, arguing that rolling term leases on national parks were never intended to be automatically extended and that the opposition was misleading farmers about the effect of the changes.

“All Queenslanders would believe that to be so.”— 2016-05-10View Hansard

Opposed the bill for its retrograde treatment of traditional owners and their economic development opportunities, arguing Indigenous management of country would become a second-order consideration.

“I suggest to the minister that an awful lot of what we are talking about tonight has to do with where preferences may go in some inner-city Brisbane seats.”— 2016-05-10View Hansard

Opposed the bill, arguing it would reintroduce red and green tape, destroy ecotourism opportunities including projects like the Obi Obi zip-line, and remove investment certainty for graziers with rolling term leases.

“The removal of the use and enjoyment provisions in the act is a deliberate move to lock up more of our national parks in what could only be seen as a cynical attempt to bargain for Greens preferences and support.”— 2016-05-10View Hansard

Supported the bill as Minister for Tourism, arguing it delivers on an election commitment to make nature conservation central to the act and that the government is continuing to pursue ecotourism opportunities.

“There is one side of politics that supports ecological sustainable development, that actually wants to see good, sensible ecotourism products available here in Queensland—and that is the Labor government.”— 2016-05-10View Hansard

Opposed the bill, citing the cancelled Obi Obi zip-line ecotourism project in his electorate and the impact on graziers who effectively manage national park land at no cost to taxpayers.

“Not only are we destroying those lives, we are losing those jobs and we are losing the resources that they invested in managing those protected areas.”— 2016-05-10View Hansard

Supported the bill, focusing on amendments to the Aboriginal Land Act that will streamline the process of converting regional parks on Cape York Peninsula to jointly managed national parks with traditional owners.

“This park is 544,000 hectares in size and is owned by an Aboriginal land trust representing over eight clan groups and associated families.”— 2016-05-10View Hansard

Opposed the bill, recounting how the organically certified Mayne family grazing operation at Goathlands near Carnarvon National Park would be devastated, losing sustainable grazing practices that also manage fire risk and feral pests at no cost to taxpayers.

“With the stroke of a pen, the government is removing opportunities for well-qualified, organically certified young grazing families to expand.”— 2016-05-10View Hansard

Opposed the bill, declaring a personal interest as a director of a company holding grazing leases over state land, and recounting how a previous Labor government illegally tried to terminate his lease before the Supreme Court intervened.

“I challenged the senior department of environment officers who were present to tell me what was in our grazing lease area that required special protection ... Guess what? There was not one scrap of scientific evidence—not one study.”— 2016-05-10View Hansard

Supported the bill, arguing that hardship grazing on national parks is not sustainable or equitable and that drought assistance programs worth over $52 million provide more effective support for affected farmers.

“It is therefore appropriate and much more equitable for farmers affected by drought to be supported through these mechanisms rather than grazing in national parks.”— 2016-05-10View Hansard

Opposed the bill, recounting how a preference deal between the Beattie government and the Greens led to the buyout and lockup of the Springbrook community, and arguing the bill repeats this destructive approach.

“What was then a thriving mountain community that relied on the tourism dollar to keep the wheels of local commerce turning had been secretly bought up and locked away before people's eyes.”— 2016-05-10View Hansard

Supported the bill as Minister for Housing, arguing it returns nature conservation to its rightful place as the act's sole object, ends the previous government's open-slather approach, and secures the value of world-class natural assets.

“Queenslanders should feel assured that their government is acting as a steward and a guardian for those parks, not searching for ways to exploit them.”— 2016-05-10View Hansard

Opposed the bill as a jobs-destroying measure disguised as green payback, citing the poor state of Homevale National Park and the importance of agriculture and ecotourism to the Whitsunday region.

“This is nothing more than a jobs-destroying bill disguised as some sort of payback for the extreme green movement.”— 2016-05-10View Hansard

Supported the bill for delivering on the government's commitment to provide national parklands with proper safeguards, highlighting the Boondall Wetlands' international significance as a Ramsar-listed site.

“We who have stewardship of those precious natural resources today must protect them for our children and the Queenslanders of tomorrow.”— 2016-05-10View Hansard

Vigorously opposed the bill, arguing that making conservation the sole objective is a dreadful step backwards and that denying leaseholders rolling term lease renewal rights and appeal mechanisms is unjust and callous.

“It is completely counterintuitive to punish these leaseholders for having done nothing wrong. In fact, by definition, because the land has enduring conservation value, they have been doing everything right.”— 2016-05-10View Hansard

Supported the bill, defending the right of inner-city constituents to care about national park conservation and listing numerous parks she has personally visited and treasures.

“Do not tell me and the people I represent that we do not have the right to aspire to have a better place for ourselves and our children.”— 2016-05-10View Hansard

Opposed the bill, arguing it would harm tourism on Fraser Island and in Hervey Bay where unemployment is around 11 per cent, and that national parks need proper management plans and ecotourism rather than being locked up.

“If you do not have a good environment and you do not have a good economy, it is pretty hard. You have to have both.”— 2016-05-10View Hansard

Supported the bill as Treasurer and Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, focusing on amendments to the Aboriginal Land Act that streamline the Cape York Peninsula Tenure Resolution Program.

“The program to date has resolved tenure on significant properties on Cape York Peninsula including the transfer of 16 existing national parks to joint management with traditional owners.”— 2016-05-10View Hansard

Opposed the bill, arguing it sends a poison pill to the tourism industry and all industries, citing the neglect of national parks under previous Labor governments and the need for ecotourism development opportunities.

“If there was ever a need to see more evidence of the arrogance of this government, and in particular the Minister for Tourism, I think we saw it here tonight.”— 2016-05-10View Hansard

Opposed the bill, arguing it could lock out sporting groups, schools and small businesses from publicly owned parks and takes away the right of appeal for longstanding landowners.

“I remind the House that Wayne Goss won a massive majority and it appeared absolutely impossible that he would ever lose government. Then he made a decision to kick the fishermen out of the national parks.”— 2016-05-10View Hansard

Opposed the bill while commending the minister for retaining Indigenous involvement, arguing that practical land management including limited grazing can provide a net environmental benefit and that the existing framework can achieve the government's goals.

“I think there are a lot of misconceptions that are driving this bill. I think the things the government wants to achieve can be achieved through the existing framework and can be managed responsibly, more practically and more cost effectively.”— 2016-05-10View Hansard