27 Aug 2026
Overnight the Queensland Government passed the State Development and Public Works Organisation (Critical Minerals) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026. The Bill featured amendments called for by the Queensland Farmers' Federation (QFF) and its peak body members to protect the rights of Queensland farmers and the state’s prime agricultural land.
These amendments include ensuring a Regional Interests Development Approval (RIDA) remains a protected instrument, maintaining protections for regional interests including strategic cropping land and prime agricultural land.
QFF and our peak body members advocated strongly for this amendment to provide Queensland primary producers with much-needed legislative clarity.
QFF CEO Kylie Porter said Queensland farmers welcome the passage of the amended legislation, which maintains the critical Priority Agricultural Areas and Strategic Cropping Land protections for the state’s primary producers.
“QFF recognises that critical minerals projects offer a tremendous opportunity for the regions in terms of job creation and investment attraction. By retaining the RIDA as a protected instrument, the Queensland Government has listened to farmers and shown that it will not be sacrificing our state’s best farming land for other uses,” Ms Porter said.
“Queenslanders are proud of the produce we grow in our state and understand that prime agricultural land is a finite resource that must be protected to ensure our future generations enjoy continued access to high-quality, locally grown food, fibre, and foliage."
Cotton Australia General Manager Michael Murray said Cotton Australia were pleased that the Government has listened and ensured that Regional Planning Interest Act provisions can’t be overridden by the Critical Minerals bill.
“Queensland has only a very limited supply of the “best of the best” agricultural land, and this must be preserved to grow the food and fibre we need,” Mr Murray said.
QFF and our peak body members will continue to work with the government to ensure prime agricultural land is appropriately protected for future generations of Queenslanders.
Media contact:
Jak Kirwin
General Manager, Marketing and Communications, QFF
E: comms@qff.org.au
M: 0488 305 106