LNP senator needs to take a good look at Brisbane’s impact

I REPLY to the North’s new Senator Susan Mcdonald’s Facebook post 30/06/20, “Great Effort by North Qld Farmers.”

It refers to fertiliser application trials funded by the Federal Government. I quote from the post, “The Morrison Government has used science to help farmers while Labor uses science to bash farmers”. Both sides of government have ‘bashed farmers’ senator, does $150 million in lost sugar revenue in the very same Burdekin community you refer to ring a bell?

Why the constant references to our agricultural industries and the impact on the environment?

Why won’t you include urban runoff in the review you called for in the Senate and stop focusing on agriculture and the Great Barrier Reef?

Or are you are just playing to the light green brigade?

If the Government wants to ensure we have healthy waterways and oceans it’s time you called for a similar study of the Brisbane River and associated offshore reefs and waterways.

Surely the footprint of 2.5 million plus people has a measurable effect on that ecosystem. All that rubber from tyres, grease and pollution from millions of vehicles, fertiliser on all those lawns and parks, residue run-off from stormwater drains, car washing and plastics, not to mention water turbulence from pleasure boats and shipping in and out of the Port of Brisbane and Moreton Bay.

Senator, you sound like you are backslapping farmers for doing the right thing but not looking at what the city folk may be doing wrong is patronising at its worst. Regional communities are sick of taking the constant bashing and bullying.

The sugar industry asked for a commonsense code of conduct and the Federal Government had to be pushed to the cliff edge to implement it, costing the same community you congratulate here at least $150 million. I will give you latitude that you are a new kid on the block and your call to only review the impact and science behind cane and cattle farmers naive.

We want to know when are others going to be reviewed? We all love the reef and we have taken steps as you have highlighted in your post to look after our part. Now it is time to shine the spotlight on others and their impact on the oceans.

If you could ask that question senator, it may prove your credentials for being based in the North. It is time for state and federal governments to return funding to the CSIRO and DPI jobs if you truly back science, the environment and agriculture.

SAM COX, Townsville.