REEF REGULATIONS SCRUTINISED BY FARMERS AT FORUM
THE introduction of reef regulations in 2019 has resulted in productivity declines, and many local farmers are questioning why they are still in the industry, an industry forum has revealed.
In 2020, an analysis by Canegrowers revealed an estimated economic hit to Queensland would be in the range of $1.3bn over 10 years as a result of the push to cut nitrogen applications on sugarcane crops.
A forum orchestrated by the region’s cane-growing organisations was held last Friday at the Burdekin PCYC, where the main topic of discussion surrounded the proposed Environmental and Other Legislation (Reversal of Great Barrier Reef Protection Measures) Amendment Bill 2021 put forward by the Katter Australia Party.
Former James Cook University scientist Peter Ridd assured farmers they were not killing the reef, and said the regulations imposed on them were over the top.
“It’s just incredible that you have got a situation where what is clearly one of the most pristine, best preserved, most beautiful, most wonderful ecosystems on earth, and we have managed to convince the world it is on its last legs,” Dr Ridd said.
“When you measure pesticides out on the reef, you can’t even measure them. There are such low concentrations and even with the most sensitive scientific equipment, you cannot measure them.
“There is almost no sediment out there at all. When it does reach there it will be for a day or so, and that will be on one or two of the three thousand reefs – that is how minimal it is.
“There is a problem with the quality assurance of science. The
problem with the science used here is it is wrong.”
Dr Ridd said the current regulations would have no effect on anything significant on the reef because the pesticides were not reaching it.
“When it comes to fertiliser, work from AIMS (Australian Institute of Marine science) itself demonstrates that the cycling of nutrients across the seabed is the most important thing,” he said.
“Also, work on half a dozen papers has demonstrated that the rivers are relatively minor when it comes to water quality of the reef.
“The biggest ‘rivers’ that affect the Great Barrier Reef are the great ocean currents,” he said.
Katter Australian Party Member for Hitchinbrook, Nick Dametto was also in attendance and said people in Brisbane had no idea about farming practices, and were “trying to win
over people with a green tinge”.
“The reason we put this legislation together was because, after talking to scientists, we realised we aren’t hurting the reef, some people out there need to understand that,” Mr Dametto said.
“The legislation that went through in 2019 was built on a flawed science, and that is why we seek to appeal it.
“The reason I moved this legislation is because everyone in this room needs to have their voice heard again.
“We didn’t know what the regulations were going to look like when the legislation went through.
“A lot of the stuff that you’re dealing with right now with your nitrogen and phosphorus budgets, that’s all of the regulation and we didn’t have any of that prescribed to us in the legislation.
“Now that we know what we are
dealing with, we should have our voice heard again. There is a multimillion-dollar industry that is being affected right now.
“Everybody should be concerned, because any drop in production locally from these regulations and legislations can have an effect on the local economy.”
Some farmers in attendance were concerned about the legislation put forward by the KAP.
“What we need is something that is going to be concrete and give us a result at the end,” one farmer said.
“With the productivity declines that we have experienced, we’re going to have to start questioning should we be growing another sugar cane (crop) or should we be growing another crop that isn’t being scrutinised.
“These sugar-growing areas support the larger regional communities such as Townsville,
Mackay and Bundaberg, so really, I do have a concern about our future.”
A common question asked was simply, what is the science saying about the impacts farming practices are having on the Great Barrier Reef in the Burdekin?
“We got to push the Yongola – if the farmers are killing the reef, why is this in such pristine condition?” one farmer asked.
“That is what you got to push to get people to change their mind on the mindset that we are killing the reef.”
Another farmer was concerned about the perception being imposed on young Australians that farmers were killing the reef.
“It’s hard to change perception, we can’t even get it in the school here,” he said.
“Our kids come home telling us we are killing the reef in our own local areas … it’s hard and how do we get people to change those perceptions?”
A Department of Environment and Science spokesman said the Queensland Government was taking strong action to ensure future generations could experience the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef.
“Rising ocean temperatures due to climate change, along with nutrient and sediment run-off from agriculture are the main risks to the future of the Great Barrier Reef,” the spokesman said.
“The Queensland Government’s plans to protect the reef are based on the best available scientific evidence.
“The independent Scientific Consensus Statement, jointly funded by the Queensland and Commonwealth governments, is a foundational document that informs plans for managing impacts of water quality on the Great Barrier Reef ecosystems.”