Taking axe to farming

WITH a group of more than 100 concerned farmers and graziers, I was part of a rally which marched to Member for Thuringowa Aaron Harper’s office to protest against the proposed changes to the vegetation laws.

These changes will adversely affect agriculture and farming sustainability in this state.

At least Mr Harper was there to listen to the group, unlike Coralee O’Rourke who chose not to attend a previous rally which marched to her office.

He listened to the group’s concerns but was evasive in his answers to questions put forward at the meeting.

It was quite evident the State Government has the numbers to pass the legislation and these new laws will be in force after the next sitting of Parliament.

So just why are these laws necessary in Labor’s view?

• Firstly, in their lopsided view, they will save the Great Barrier Reef from total devastation.

• They will stop climate change and global warming and sea levels from rising.

• In short, they will save us from everything we need saving from.

Why are we protesting against these proposed changes to the vegetation management of our land?

• Firstly, graziers and farmers are not aiming to clear every tree on their land, but to do so in a way which is sustainable and profitable on land they have paid big money to own and maintain.

• The thickening of tree growth makes the land unable to grow the fodder necessary to feed their livestock. This, in turn, leads to the intrusion of plant pests and animal pests.

If these proposed laws had been in force many years ago we would all now be starving as I have never seen a crop of sugar cane growing in a rainforest, a crop of wheat growing in a mulga scrub, vegetables growing in a thicket of trees and so on.

This land had to be cleared to produce food for our existence.

I am aware that the trees absorb the CO2 from the atmosphere but so do the crops that are planted able to do the same thing.

With our population predicted to almost double in the next 50 years we will have to grow more crops, produce, beef, chicken, meats of all kinds, more vegetables and fruits, in fact, foods of all kinds to feed ourselves as well as an everincreasing world population.

All these targets will be left solely in farmers’ hands.

I cannot see why these politicians who create this legislation continually condemn and knock the primary producer.

While trees are very beautiful, they can also be very destructive as we continually see during a cyclone or electrical storm.

In Victoria we see the destruction and loss of human life during bushfires because of their government’s senseless laws forbidding the clearing of trees in close vicinity to homes.

Finally, we must adopt a strategy which is sustainable and reasonable to all concerned.

At this stage we are far from achieving this. GEORGE YARDLEY,

Alice River.