The Bundaberg community is urged to join with rural industry groups and Stephen Bennett MP in the fight against Labor’s proposed anti-agriculture vegetation management reforms.
Mr Bennett said the petition, in response to the Palaszczuk Labor Government’s Vegetation Management (Reinstatement) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill, was an opportunity for all Bundaberg landholders and the wider community to register their protest to Labor’s plans.
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government’s rollback of the LNPs sensible vegetation management framework will remove property rights, reduce the productivity of the agricultural sector and threaten jobs in our region,” he said.
“This petition is an easy, yet influential, way for the Bundaberg and Burnett community to send a message to Labor’s Member for Bundaberg that they object to her government’s amendments and explain the negative impact it will have on landholders across the state.”
Mr Bennett said Labor’s proposed amendments were more extensive and aggressive than simply overturning the LNP’s 2013 changes.
“The former LNP Government’s common sense changes to the Vegetation Management Act allowed landholders saved time and money, while sustainably growing their businesses,” Mr Bennett said.
“Leanne Donaldson and her Palaszczuk Labor Government plans to completely repeal the important High Value Agriculture and High Value Irrigated Agriculture pathways to development, threatening to bring Bundaberg’s agriculture sector and future economic growth to a screaming halt,” he said.
“Freehold and indigenous freehold landowners will be stripped of their rights to manage regrowth vegetation and restrictions on vegetation management near watercourses will extend even further than ever before.
“Landholders will also be considered guilty until proven innocent with the re-instatement of the reversal of the onus of proof and ‘mistake of fact’ will no longer be considered a defence for alleged offences involving vegetation management activities.”
Mr Bennett said AgForce Queensland General President Grant Maudlsey had agreed to be the principal petitioner and other rural industry groups had worked with the LNP and AgForce to develop the petition.
Key facts:
• Paper petitions will be circulating throughout Queensland over coming months. The e-petition can be accessed at http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/work-of-assembly/petitions/e-petitions
• Written submissions to the Parliamentary Committee considering Labor’s legislation close on 25 April 2016.
ENDS.
April 18, 2016