Senator weighs in on Bill protest

A NORTH Queensland senator is backing farmers by calling for the signing of a petition protesting strict on-farm regulations including documentation of fertiliser sales.

LNP senator Susan McDonald has joined forces with maverick Dawson MP George Christensen to condemn new laws controlling fertiliser use proposed under the Great Barrier Reef Protection Measures Amendment Bill.

According to the state, the bill is designed to set minimum practice agricultural standards for all sugarcane, beef cattle grazing, banana, grains and horticulture production throughout catchments bordering the Reef.

But Ms McDonald said the proposed laws threatened the livelihoods of farmers and the greater Queensland economy.

“We have a State Government displaying breathtaking arrogance and an ignorance fed by armchair environmentalists, which makes it tougher for the regions to thrive,” she said.

The petition under the tag line “Don’t cane our farmers” calls for an end to Labor’s “attack” on the Queensland sugar industry.

It has so far garnered more than 4500 signatories.

“We are seeing this attack on the regions in Labor’s continual restrictions on cane farming, cattle farming and vegetation management laws,” she said.

“Bigger coastal centres like Townsville, Cairns, Mackay, Rockhampton are major service hubs, so any attack on farmers will hurt the cities,” she said.

“Farmers are excellent custodians of the environment, but this government treats them like vandals.”