THE Palaszczuk government has continued its attacks on Queensland farmers, announcing a review into the risk it says tree-clearing poses to plant and animal species.
Environment Minister Steven Miles said the Queensland’s Species Technical Committee (STC) recommended 21 of the 29 species of flora and fauna it reviewed be re-listed to a more threatened protection status.
Today’s announcement comes as the minority Palaszczuk government attempts to gain support for its controversial Vegetation Management (Reinstatement) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2016 which will strip away landholders’ rights and according to farm groups, deliver perverse environmental outcomes.
It also follows last weekend’s release of the Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATS) report which was also used by the Palaszczuk government to attack farmers.
Speculation is growing the controversial legislation will be introduced possibly later this week, following news the Labor-aligned green group the Wilderness Society will stage a protest outside parliament house on Wednesday morning.
Opposition natural resources spokesman Andrew Cripps said it was no coincidence that Brisbane based politicians Jackie Trad and Steven Miles, who were from ultra-marginal seats and were dependent on green preferences to hold onto their jobs, were leading the attacks.
“This is pure self-interest,” Mr Cripps said.
“Another day, another desperate attempt by this Labor Government to convince Queenslanders that farmers don’t care about their land or the native wildlife it supports.
“I have faith that the overwhelming majority of Queenslanders know that’s not true, have more respect for our farmers and will see through Labor’s manipulation of data and grandstanding.”
Mr Cripps said the Palasczcuk government had taken its farmer bashing to a new level of dishonesty with claims today Labor’s drastic new controls on vegetation management would not affect agricultural productivity.
“Steven Miles comments today that Labor’s draconian vegetation laws won’t affect agricultural productivity are astonishingly misleading. This debate has reached a new low.
“Managing vegetation on properties is essential to allow farmers to maintain enough pasture to feed their cattle and sheep, as is the small scale removal of vegetation to build and maintain fences and the harvesting of fodder for starving livestock during drought.”
Mr Cripps said Labor refuse to acknowledge how the laws would prevent indigenous communities from achieving economic independence by allowing them to establish agricultural industries on their land.
“Our sensible laws allowed the development of new agricultural projects in remote parts of Queensland where jobs are desperately needed, particularly communities in Queensland’s Gulf of Carpentaria and on Cape York,” he said.
“Many Queenslanders in those indigenous communities are standing shoulder to shoulder with farmers to fight Labor’s damaging laws and I’m amazed Ms Palaszczuk hasn’t stopped to wonder why.
“The LNP is standing proudly beside this broad coalition of Queenslanders to fight Labor’s Bill when it comes back to Parliament for debate.”
The STC’s membership includes scientific experts from universities, the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection; Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts, and the Commonwealth.
The committee recommended the Bramble Cay melomys, a mouse-like rodent that lived on a small grass-covered cay (a low-lying island in a coral reef) in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, be upgraded from Endangered to Extinct in the Wild.
It also recommended 10 species of fauna be upgraded from Least Concern to Vulnerable; three species of fauna from Vulnerable to Endangered; five species of fauna from Least Concern to Endangered; one species of bird from Near Threatened to Endangered; and one species of bird from Near Threatened to Vulnerable.
The species included the wedge-tailed shearwater (up-listed from Least Concern to Vulnerable with climate change impacts being a key factor in its decline); the hawksbill turtle (Vulnerable to Endangered); Fassifern blind snake (Least Concern to Vulnerable); yellow-footed rock-wallaby (Least Concern to Vulnerable); the palm cockatoo (Near Threatened to Vulnerable), and the greater glider (Least Concern to Vulnerable).
Dr Miles said scientists believed the greater glider had moved to a more severe category as a result of a range of threats, including tree-clearing.
According to Wikipedia, The greater glider is found in eucalypt forest from Mossman, Queensland, to Daylesford, Victoria.
“The greater glider feeds almost exclusively on eucalyptus leaves and buds, and lives in trees, so the destruction of its habitat and food source is sure to be detrimental to its survival, he said.
Deputy Director of the Environmental Futures Research Institute at Griffith University, Professor Daryl Jones welcomed the Government’s review as part of Dr Miles’ statement.
“While there are many threats to native species, the clearing of native forests is a serious threatening process that could be significantly managed with community support,” Prof Jones said.
“Not only does extensive tree clearing remove the habitat essential to native plants and animals, but it can fragment a landscape so that wildlife in each isolated patch is no longer able to access food and water sources, or with others of their kind to maintain healthy populations.
“This is a very important issue and I believe we as a community need to do everything we can to address this growing problem.”
Prof Jones is a behavioural ecologist working in the fields of urban ecology and wildlife management. The Griffith University website described him as being especially interested in urbanisation and the way certain species are adapting to this process.
It is unclear why the review does not include other factors identified by Palaszczuk government including predation and competition by introduced species, introduced diseases and climate change.
