Scare campaign on regrowth restrictions baseless
13 Jun 2009
Claims that proposed legislation limiting the clearing of regenerating bushland will lead to major job and production losses in Queensland are baseless and nothing more than a scare campaign, WWF-Australia said today.
"The agricultural industry’s claim that it paid a high price for the ban on broadscale land-clearing in 2006 is contradicted by actual statistics," said Dr Martin Taylor, WWF’s Protected Area Policy Manager.
Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics actually show there was an increase in beef cattle numbers and agricultural employment following the ban on broadscale land clearing at the end of 2006. The statistics reveal that:
- Total cattle numbers in Queensland actually increased by 1.2 per cent - rising from 11.55 million in 2006 to 11.68 million in 2007. This increase occurred despite a national decline in cattle numbers of 1.3 per cent over the same period.
- Cattle numbers in Queensland also defied the effect of a drought over the same period. That same drought resulted in a drop in wheat production from 1.23 million tonnes to just 776,700 tonnes.
- As for agricultural employment, it leapt by 24 per cent over the time of the introduction of the ban - from 34,400 jobs in 2006 to 42,800 jobs in 2007.
According to Dr Taylor, these figures further justify WWF’s call to the Queensland Government to legislate for a permanent ban on the clearing of regrowth of endangered and streamside ecosystems as well as the regrowth that protects vulnerable soils.
"As it stands, preservation of these areas should already be part of a farmer’s management practices if they are serious about their duty of care to the land. All we’re asking for is this duty of care to be more clearly defined in law," Dr Taylor said.
"In addition, should permits be issued to clear any vegetation, it is common sense that farmers should pay for the carbon emitted by that clearing."
WWF has called for emission funds from this clearing to be used to reward landholders who voluntarily safeguard otherwise unprotected regrowth areas that soak up carbon. This reward would help diversify the farm incomes of those primary producers who sensibly preserve their landscapes.
"The true picture of land clearing controls is far from the gloom and doom painted by industry interests," Dr Taylor said.
"The fact is, saving wildlife from extinction, conserving soils and streams and saving the $6 billion-a-year tourism industry that depends on the health of the Great Barrier Reef will lead to more jobs and support the long term economic security of Queensland."
More information
Dr Martin Taylor, WWF-Australia Protected Area Policy Manager
Phone: 0406 384 289
Nikki Todd, WWF-Australia Media Officer
Phone: 0408 011 204
