Mining and Agriculture
Queensland is a State rich in agricultural and mineral resources. At times, this creates significant policy challenges for stakeholders and the government as they manage and balance the interaction between these industries. QFF therefore plays an important role coordinating the industry response to the rapidly expanding mining industry and the challenges and opportunities that come with it.
QFF continues to pursue, develop and support a strategic cropping land (SCL) policy for Queensland, as well as advocating for the urgent need to see this legislation enshrined in law.
This policy, first flagged for development in February 2010, entered the Parliament in October 2011 via the Quality Farmland Protection Bill 2011. QFF continues to pursue the protection of quality farmland and that this policy and legislation is implemented fairly and effectively.
In essence, this long-term-view policy intends to protect Queensland’s best farming land from permanently destructive development activities, such as open cut coal mining or urban encroachment. The need for this policy has been accelerated in line with the rapid pace of the expanding resources sector across regional Queensland.
Coal seam gas
QFF also continues to lobby for farmers’ rights in the context of the rapidly expanding coal seam gas industry. The organisation focuses on holding the government and resource companies to account and delivering sustainable expansion that doesn’t cause undue damage to farmland and the environment. In August, 2010, QFF effectively lobbied for amendments to the Geothermal Energy Bill (2010), which allowed for improvements to the way farmers negotiate with exploration companies on issues such as gas exploration. QFF also played an important role in providing feedback to the Water and Other Legislation Amendment (WOLA) Bill 2010. Not all industry considerations were won in this debate, but some progress was made.
At the Federal level, in October, 2010, Minister for Environment, Tony Burke, gave environmental approval for the Curtis Island LNG facility, which has been the trigger to increase CSG production from its current domestic focus, to an export-oriented industry. It has been widely publicised that it is expected the industry will increase in size from about 3000 wells to almost 40,000 wells in the coming decades.
Both State and Governments are continuing to place a massive emphasis on CSG in their jobs and economic forecasts, so it is evident that the farm sector is confronted with governments that are determined to see the industry progress.
QFF is continuing to work with our members to ensure this rapidly expanding industry does not trample ural communities, and that it progresses in a sustainable way that does not destroy farmland or the environment.