2018 proved a year where political ideology again overwhelmed sound science, with the Palaszczuk government choosing farmer bashing over the development of sound vegetation management laws.
In what marked the low point in relations between George Street and the bush, the urban-centric Labor administration rammed through its laws unamended, despite receiving thousands of submissions and hundreds of farmers decrying the controversial laws.
Introduced into parliament in April, the laws were set in stone during May despite last ditch efforts by opposition members desperately seeking to curtail the worst of the legislation.
Instead Labor chose to appease its politically aligned extreme green groups, leaving farmers in the proverbial wilderness.
Adding insult to injury, farmers were slapped down by the Labor dominated committee with claims that no real evidence was ever presented showing that changes were necessary to the controversial laws.
So much for promised consultation.
The laws made a mockery of the Queensland Government’s long term goal of doubling agricultural production to feed an ever increasing population. In an instant the development of high value agriculture was wiped out and member farmers were left unable to manage weeds such as lantana growing in areas of remnant timber.
Certainly there was plenty of praise during the year for the Palaszczuk government efforts on drought and exclusion fencing. But it was vegetation that topped a long list of issues exposing the massive divide between the city and bush.
Spiraling energy costs, the run down in biosecurity efforts particularly in regards to cattle ticks, the Palaszczuk government’s seemingly unsympathetic response to the bushfire crisis, and the shock announcement that the state’s two remaining agricultural colleges would close left many in the bush wondering if there are really two Queenslands.
