Agricultural land and the way it is managed and protected are vital to Queensland’s natural environment and economy, both now and into the future.
The Vegetation Management and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2018 has been two terms of government and three years in the making. Ensuring the Bill’s ability to practically deliver for all stakeholders – as well as the environment – is of paramount importance. The current Bill has addressed issues identified in the 2016 Bill, including removing the reverse onus of proof that had been placed on landholders.
We hope that our recommendations enable the proposed legislation to be further enhanced and streamlined to ensure its long-term feasibility for all stakeholders. Our primary recommendation is that the Queensland Government optimise the capacity of stakeholders to align their professional practices to the legislation by:
- Utilising simple and clear definitions
- Reducing complexity around self-assessment requirements
- Providing adequate support to landholders, to enable them to transition and adopt new practices.
The Centre for Policy Futures coordinates submissions into Parliamentary inquiries. This summary forms part of a broader submission developed by UQ's Blake Alexander Simmons and Dr Angela Dean in response to the Queensland Government's inquiry into the Vegetation Management and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2018.
