QUEENSLAND farmers say the Palaszczuk Government's admission tree survey data was flawed showed they were only interested in telling "half the story".
AgForce president Grant Maudsley said revelations the State Government could not accurately measure how much vegetation in Queensland had regrown after being cleared undermined its arguments to move away from sensible and workable land management laws.
"Farmers manage vegetation on their land to grow food for people and animals to eat," Mr Maudsley said.
"The reality is only about 0.1 per cent of woody vegetation cover is being cleared annually, and almost two-thirds of that is to control regrowth.
"Just as you must mow your lawn regularly or it overgrows, farmers manage vegetation on their land to prevent thickening and to maintain pasture to feed their cattle and sheep.
"AgForce has always said we are willing to work through a science and evidence based process, but the Palaszczuk Government is more interested in green politics than developing good policies and getting the science right.”
Mr Maudsley said AgForce agreed with green groups and Health Minister Cameron Dick that vegetation management would be an election issue.
“We will be making sure voters in multiple marginal electorates know how irrational land use laws based on politics rather than science will cost regional Queenslanders jobs today and their kids jobs in the future,” Mr Maudsley said.
"Labor's determination to re-introduce flawed land management laws if they are re-elected just shows that they have no plan to develop the north and don't care if they push up food prices for Queensland families.
"Agriculture is one of the foundations of the Queensland economy and could grow from $17 billion to $30b a year over the next decade, but only with sensible and workable laws that allow primary producers to manage their land and grow their businesses."
Mr Maudsley noted the agricultural sector, indigenous groups, the mining industry, the property industry and lawyers had aligned in opposition to the Palaszczuk Government's flawed land management laws.