Reef bill based on ‘ideology’
THERE is a lot of ideology in the State Government’s proposed Reef Protection Bill, but to be honest, not a lot of valid science and limited knowledge of agriculture or of farmers.
It is, after all, a document designed to appease hardcore environmentalists as the State Government tries to shore up its urban vote against the Green tidal wave it fears will wash away formerly safe Labor seats in inner city Brisbane.
Like so much recent legislation, it is based on the usual nonsensical assumptions embraced by the Greens:
■ That agriculture is bad for the environment;
■ That farming is almost single-handedly responsible for damaging the Reef with run-off chemicals and soil;
■ That farmers don’t care for the Reef or the environment;
■ That the only way to bring farmers into line is by regulation and exorbitant fines for non-compliance; and
■ Most galling of all, that environmentalists know best.
Obviously, each of these suppositions is utter rubbish.
The truth is exactly the opposite.
Farmers are just like every other Australian.
We love the Reef and want to see this miracle of nature preserved for future generations, including our children and grandchildren.
We love it for its natural beauty as well as the many recreational and employment opportunities it offers to people living in regional Queensland.
Primary producers, who are custodians of the land and manage it on behalf of all Australians, are best placed to deliver an effective solution to manage native landscapes and preserve the Reef, not activists whose views on science and agriculture come largely from Wikipedia and other activists’ websites.
Not only that, but our industry is at the forefront of voluntary, industry-led research and best practice development – such as the Grazing BMP – that is not only delivering improved landscape management but advancements in animal health and farm productivity.
We are also the only industry to have reduced our carbon emissions while increasing productivity, and are on track for carbon neutrality by 2030.
That is why it is so frustrating that the Government has so far refused to consider our feedback on the Reef Protection Bill.
And it appears to be doing everything it can to prevent primary producers from having any input or, in fact, exposing the bill’s sketchy science to scrutiny.
The producers I speak to have absolutely no issue with laws to protect the Reef, and for that matter, to conserve our natural landscapes.
But they are sick of being ignored and they are sick of being saddled with more and more impractical regulation that impedes their ability to farm sustainably and does not achieve its intended purpose.
The current Reef Protection Bill is grossly flawed and needs to be changed to make it fair and effective.
Unless this happens – and it appears increasingly unlikely – the State Government will have failed in two key mandates: to preserve one of the world’s most amazing natural wonders, and to govern for all Queenslanders, not just those whose votes it needs to remain in power.