The Palaszczuk Labor Government’s plans to savage small zoos and school farmyard displays with exorbitant fees has been scrapped by the LNP Opposition.

Member for Burnett Stephen Bennett said the LNP’s disallowance motion in State Parliament last night knocked out Labor’s new excessive fees, which if left to stand, would have lumped businesses with thousands of dollars in extra charges.

Mr Bennett said the LNP forced Bundaberg MP and Minister for Agriculture Leanne Donaldson to back down on her attack on small business operators and zoos in the region.

“This is a win for small business over an out-of-touch minister who time and time again fails to stand up for her own region,” he said.

“The member for Bundaberg arrogantly criticised the industry and refused to listen to them, and now, embarrassingly, her policy’s malicious agenda has been exposed and she has been forced to back down at the eleventh hour.

“Leanne Donaldson and her Labor Government spruik about creating jobs, yet all these unnecessary regulations and rules will destroy small businesses and the jobs they support.”

Mr Bennett said Labor’s plan to hike licence fees by six hundred per cent and add hundreds of pages in compliance plans for species that many smaller exhibitors had successfully kept for years made absolutely no sense.

“It also put the onus on exhibitors to submit management plans to the Agriculture Department for every species, and charge like a wounded bull for the privilege of filling out extra forms – lumping businesses with more red tape and unnecessary costs,” he said.

“Clearly the Minister’s bill was just a grubby grab for cash on unsuspecting small business operators.”

Mr Bennett said exhibitors were happy to work with the former LNP government to modernise legislation, but Labor had since made a mess of the regulations which were universally condemned by the industry and stakeholders.

“The new regulations were rushed through with no consultation with stakeholders and ignore key recommendations from the Agriculture and Environment Committee which reviewed the regulations,” he said.

“The industry never said they were against paying what is fair and reasonable. What they object to is how they have not been consulted.

“We need the minister to facilitate real industry engagement to find a fair and workable solution while facilitating community discussion to resolve the issue.”

Snakes Downunder Zoo and Reptile Park’s Ian Jenkins has welcomed news that the disallowance motion was successful.

“The Queensland zoo and aquarium industry as a whole, but particularly the smaller zoos and aquaria, are greatly relieved by the result of last night’s vote,” Mr Jenkins said.

“On a personal note it means our plans for expansion are back on track.

“I’d like to thank all those who voted to support our industry.”

ENDS.

Thursday, 18 August 2016