25 Feb 2016
The Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF) has welcomed the state government’s move to reinstate landholder rights to protect key farm infrastructure from mining and to restore community members objection rights under the Mineral and Other Legislation Amendment (MOLA) Bill 2016 introduced to State Parliament on Tuesday.
The changes to the restricted land framework will give landholders the right to say no to resource activities close to agricultural infrastructure such as stockyards and water supply operations.
QFF President Stuart Armitage said he is pleased that the government has moved to fulfill their election commitment by restoring safeguards for specific agricultural infrastructure from mining and petroleum operations as these had been excluded under the existing legislation.
“It is essential that those in agricultural industries are afforded the same rights to protect their homes and business assets from resource activities as other members of the community already possess. They can already say no to resource activities close to their homes, businesses, places of worship, child care centres and hospitals.”
“QFF notes however that there has been no mention under the proposed amendments for the framework to include protections of key strategic cropping land,”
“Our industry members have been calling on the government to provide the same protections now being extended to stockyards, businesses and homes to our prime agricultural cropping land,”
“We urge the government to now get focused on addressing the economic and social impacts the resource industry is having on particular regions which have established and developed intensive agricultural industries,”
“QFF commend the government for taking the first step and we will be making a submission on the proposed amendments through the parliamentary committee process.”
The Queensland Farmers’ Federation is the united voice of intensive agriculture in Queensland. It is a federation that represents the interests of 16 of Queensland’s peak rural industry organisations, which in turn collectively represent more than 13,000 primary producers across Queensland.
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