A LETTER has emerged detailing how Deputy Premier Jackie Trad will overhaul the Vegetation Management Act (VMA) to meet the expectations of Labor-aligned green groups.
The five pages of riding instructions jointly penned by the WWF, the Wilderness Society and the Australian Conservation Foundation detail paragraph by paragraph how Labor can erase the amendments made to the VMA by the former LNP government.
The letter is dated December 2, coming about a week after Natural Minister Anthony Lynham was stripped of management of the issue which was subsequently handed to Ms Trad by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.
However, the vegetation management issue as well as the national conservation bill (also known as NCOLA) are proving difficult for Labor to manage as it is struggling to find the numbers to pass the controversial pieces of anti-farmer legislation.
There is a growing sense there is a chance that neither bills will be tabled this week, based on the growing speculation that independent Member for Cook, Billy Gordon, will ultimately vote against the laws because of the potential impact on economic development and the growth of agriculture in north Queensland.
There is also growing disquiet that the Palaszczuk Government failed to deliver a promised roundtable consultation process before any decision on the future of the VMA was announced.
The LNP opposition has signaled it will seek to vote against the first reading of the bill. If the LNP can gain the support of the Katter Party and independent Billy Gordon to oppose the first reading, the bill would be immediately defeated rather than go through to the committee stage.
It is understood a draft of the legislation has already been sighted by farm groups including AgForce and the new laws strongly reflect the demands of the green groups as detailed in the December 2 letter.
The letter focuses heavily on the Queensland Government’s Statewide Landcover and Trees Study report showing that clearing rates had increased to 296,000 hectares in 2013-14.
However, data contained in the SLATS shows that despite the clearing, tree coverage across Queensland increased by 437,000ha as identified by AgForce. This information is not provided in the greens’ letter.
The greens’ letter is categoric in its demands.
“If Labor is to fulfill its election commitment of restoring strong land clearing laws in Queensland, a series of legislative amendments to the VMA and associated codes will need to be achieved as soon as possible,” the letter reads.
More alarming for rural industry is the letter also details that even if their demands are met, green groups will not stop campaigning on vegetation management.
“Protecting woodlands from clearing should form an important part of Queensland’s response to climate change, and at some point in the future may require that all but the most negligible is either prevented or offset by areas, larger than the areas being cleared but of equal carbon value and biodiversity value,” the letter reads.