Member for Burnett, Stephen Bennett has welcomed amendments to the State’s Vegetation Management Act, which bring about changes that will allow farmers to sensibly and sustainably manage their land, and strike the right balance between sustainable agricultural productivity and sustainable environment management.
Mr Bennett said the changes debated in State Parliament overnight, retained important environmental provisions and considerations of the Vegetation Management Act, but also gave farmers greater say and control over the way they managed their land.
“These changes restore some of the property rights which farmers feel were unjustly taken away under the Vegetation Management Act, and subsequent amendments over the last 14 years” Mr Bennett said.
“For many stakeholders that rely on agricultural production, it is a sensible outcome and for farmers it will allow them to improve their farms and seek out sustainable development opportunities.
“These laws help bring balance between a sustainable environment and sustainable food and fibre industries and are an important step forward for government in recognising the importance of agriculture to our State’s economy, and the increasingly important role that agriculture will play in the future.
“The State Government has announced a target of doubling the value of agricultural production by 2040, and to date these changes to the Vegetation Management Act are one of the most substantial policies that take the industry in that direction.
“While history will judge the former Governments failures, perhaps the most important aspect of this reform is that it should work towards restoring some of the faith that many farmers had lost in the role of Government in relation to making and continually amending legislation that has a direct impact on their business. We know this will be an enduring positive change for rural producers,” Mr Bennett concluded.