THE LNP has attempted to halt the introduction of new reef regulations in Queensland, moving a disallowance motion against the bill in state parliament today.
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LNP Agriculture spokesman Tony Perrett said the opposition had opposed the new regulations from the start and the motion to disallow sections of the Environmental Protection (Great Barrier Reef Protection Measures) and Other Legislation Amendment Regulation 2019 showed they would continue to fight.
"Labor's changes to reef regulations were rammed through by the government and the LNP opposed them then and we still do now," Mr Perrett said.
"Labor's reef regulations don't strike a balance between preserving the environment and protecting local jobs.
"They treat farmers like criminals and tie them up in unworkable red and green tape.
"That is why the LNP has consistently opposed and voted against Labor's unfair reef laws and we will do everything in our power to stop their implementation."
LNP Natural Resources spokesman Dale Last said he would work alongside farmers and communities for environmental outcomes, instead of forcing unworkable laws on them.
"The LNP will work with farmers and protect local jobs and provide an economic future for our cane and grazing industries," Mr Last said.
"We will not allow our hard-working farmers to be tied up in unnecessary regulation that will cost jobs in rural and regional Queensland.
Canegrowers CEO Dan Galligan welcomed the attempt to block the bill, which they said was a further, intrusive and unnecessary regulation on the state's sugarcane growers.
"We've spent a decade arguing that the regulation of farm practices, wielding a big stick against growers, is counter-productive to delivering a sustainable future for both the Great Barrier Reef and the sugarcane industry," Mr Galligan said.
"Our members are achieving great things through voluntarily committing more than 70 per cent of the state's cane farm land to best practice through the globally-recognised accreditation program Smartcane BMP."
Mr Galligan said the the best way forward was to recognise the achievements of the sugarcane industry and build on them by working with, and not against, farmers and communities.
