Sensible amendments to balance reef and farming future

The LNP has moved to give environmental protection to the Great Barrier Reef through legislation while preserving farming jobs from being destroyed by the Palaszczuk Government’s flawed reef laws.

LNP Shadow Environment Minister David Crisafulli introduced sensible amendments to Labor’s laws during debate in Parliament that struck a balance between protecting jobs and preserving the natural environment.

“Labor’s flawed laws will cost jobs in regional Queensland without giving any environmental certainty,” Mr Crisafulli said.

“Good government would preserve the environment and support local jobs, but Labor is smashing regional Queensland with unworkable regulations.

“Under the LNP’s amendments, Brisbane bureaucrats won’t be able to change standards on a whim – standards will be regulated and have Parliamentary oversight.

“The LNP’s changes will also remove powers allowing the Labor Government to demand farmers’ data.”

The LNP’s amendments to the Environmental Protection (Great Barrier Reef Protection Measures) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2019 are to:

• Remove the regulation-making power that mandates the provision of data;
• Replace provisions that allow the chief executive to make agricultural environmentally relevant activity (ERA) standards. There will be a requirement that standards are prescribed by regulation, ensuring Parliamentary oversight; and
• Introduce a ten-year grace period for agricultural ERAs carried out in the Burnett-Mary catchment area.