In State Parliament last night, Member for Burnett Stephen Bennett went into bat for fishers to fight for fair compensation and long-term reforms.
Speaking in support of a Disallowance Motion, Mr Bennett reaffirmed his support of the fishing industry, and urged the Labor Government to scrap its rushed process to implement net-free zones in Cairns, Mackay and Rockhampton.
“The industry needs long-term investment and policy leadership, not rushed short-term options,” Mr Bennett said.
“I recommend the government commit to a more detailed examination of the Queensland east coast fishery.
“We need a sustainable policy framework going forward. We do need regular monitoring, and we do need to get the stakeholders in Queensland fisheries not to keep putting in these crazy, lazy policies of ‘set and forget’ that affect us all.”
Mr Bennett called on the State Government to commit to long-term reforms to ensure fair access for all Queenslanders to fresh seafood.
He said the LNP remains committed to ensuring that the fishing industry is sustainable and any policy moving forward would be based on sound science, broad consultation, agreement and fair compensation.