“The erosion of private property rights is the single biggest issue
facing the rural community. It creates uncertainty, stifles investment,
job creation and threatens incomes and service delivery.”
Members’ Newsletter
23rd August 2016
Vegetation Management Reinstatement Bill voted down.
It was a hard fought campaign. Some long hours were put into this by the PRA board. Last Thursday on the day of the vote, drama unfolded throughout the day.
For more thoughts please read the attached media statement that I wrote on the next morning. This is one of four media releases PRA sent out about this Bill.
The war against environmental organisations seeking control continues. But the victory in this battle shows that we can win.
Many thanks to the PRA members, who spoke at the hearings, wrote letters, showed up at rally’s or refuted the wild misleading claims on social media.
Cape York World Heritage listing
People from Cape York were key players in helping to bring a halt to the Reinstatement Bill. We need to give support to these people in the face of yet another attempt for listing of world heritage. They need to have a genuine say to if it should proceed at all, and if so, where there are to be any areas to be listed.
Warrants served on High Value Agriculture permit holders
In a worrying precedent the Federal Department of Environment (DOE) has to date issued 9 different warrants against landowners who have cleared with state approved HVA permits. The first property issued with a warrant, “Kingvale” was inspected twice by DOE and failed to find a matter on which to make a charge. Subsequently DOE sought an opinion from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority on which was used as a basis to issue a warrant.
PRA is aware of a number of court actions instigated on behalf of landowners against DOE.
The unnecessary duplicity of Federal Departments seeking oversight of HVA permits approved by the State after a vigorous planning application process is something the PRA put a lot of work into starting in December last year. In the second part of this year with so many other issues before us, the PRA board could not apply as much attention to this issue as we would have liked.
Tightening of clearing regulations
The Palaszczuk government failed to change the Vegetation Management legislation, of which is a huge relief, but they can at any time change what is left in regulation.
Already there are no new High Value Agriculture permits being issued with the government having changed the guidelines in the State Development Assessment Provisions. The changes in the SDAP included previously prohibiting clearing within set distances from watercourses to drainage features. This means any hollow depression or channel capable of carrying water.
The self-assessable codes may have been retained in the legislation but the guidelines in the regulation are in the process of being tightened. First off the rank was the code for thickening vegetation with the consultation draft revealing that the government will leave it available in name only having made thinning near impossible to comply with and at great economic cost.
Self-assessable clearing codes – Mulga
DNRM are calling for comments on a new draft code for drought fodder harvesting
Submissions and comments need to be in by 12th September, 2016. https://www.dnrm.qld.gov.au/our-department/corporate-information/policies-initiatives/vegetation-management/review-sac/draft-code-fodder
As well as a conventional submission DNR has had the facility for you to make comments on their web site.
These changes include – new notification requirements; new record keeping requirements; removal of regional ecosystems with little or no value as a fodder resource; scientifically valid and simplified vegetation retention requirements.
PRA would encourage members living in the mulgalands to not only reply to this consultation process but also inform the PRA board of changes from the former code that they would find particularly onerous.
CSG & Mining matters
A submission was sent in to the consultation to the MERCP Regulations. It is particularly worrying that the ‘Code of a Conference’ has been retained whereby a landowner can’t have alongside them legal professional or even just a friend without permission of the resource company.
The report into the review into the Gasfield Commission still hasn’t surfaced. It should have been on the Minister’s desk in June.
Regards
Dale Stiller
Dale Stiller
Chairman
Property Rights Australia
Phone: 07 49 214 000
Fax: 07 49271 888
Email: pra1@bigpond.net.au
www.propertyrightsaustralia.org
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