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QUEENSLAND Labor’s Natural Resources Minister Anthony Lynham has been stripped of the crucial responsibility for administering Queensland’s Vegetation Management Act (VMA) at the hands of Labor’s left faction, led by Deputy Premier Jackie Trad.
In a shock move Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced this morning that her minority government would introduce legislation to wind back reforms to the controversial VMA which were introduced by former LNP Government.
However, it appears any legislation could only pass with the support of independent Peter Wellington. Mr Wellington voted in support of the reforms introduced by former LNP government.
Responsibility for developing the new legislation has been handed to Ms Trad who has strong links to extreme anti-agriculture groups including the WWF and the Wilderness Society.
The move has angered landholders who continue to suffer from the impact of extreme and extended drought.
Shadow Minister for Natural Resources Andrew Cripps said this morning’s announcement also violated a commitment Dr Lynham gave the Queensland Parliament on September 15.
Dr Lynham – who is regarded as a moderate in the Palaszczuk Government – told Queensland Parliament that he had repeatedly said that a key element of achieving reform would be through thorough consultation with a range of stakeholders.
“As such, a vegetation management community roundtable process will be used to achieve this outcome through participation from representatives from the agricultural and conservation sectors, the natural resource management collective and Indigenous interests,” Dr Lynham said.
“Once I receive the report from the round table, the government will carefully consider the recommended actions in the context of our election commitments.”
Mr Cripps said it was disappointing that the roundtable has met only once and had not provided a report or any recommendations to Dr Lynham or the Palaszczuk Government.
“There has been no consultation at all with farmers and landowners,” Mr Cripps said.
“The truth is Minister Lynham’s roundtable has been a farce, with extreme green groups like the WWF and the Wilderness Society refusing to come to the table without upfront guarantees that the government would overturn the LNP’s changes to the VMA.
“Anthony Lynham wasn’t even allowed to have one line in today’s ministerial press release announcing these changes to the legislation he is supposedly responsible for – this is a very public sidelining of a senior Minister by Labor’s left faction and the extreme greens.
Mr Cripps said Dr Lynham is generally seen as a moderate in the Palaszczuk Labor Cabinet, someone who the industry could have a relatively sensible conversation with about policy.
“Today it has been made very clear that he is in fact a lame duck Minister who is not in charge of his portfolio,” he said.
“The ideological zealots in Labor’s left faction and in the extreme green groups who control them, mean Anthony Lynham won’t meet the commitments he gave to the Queensland Parliament and therefore he should immediately resign as Minister, if he values his integrity.”
