• Palaszczuk Labor Government ramping up its anti-farmer rhetoric in lead up to Parliamentary showdown on vegetation management laws

• Facts show 261,000 ha of land cleared under Labor’s laws in 2012-13

• Annastacia Palaszczuk must consider impacts on farming families of her anti-agriculture legislation

Vegetation management rates in Queensland have remained stable under laws put in place by the LNP and not blown out as claimed by the Palaszczuk Government.

Shadow Natural Resources Minister, Andrew Cripps, said the most recent Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATS) report shows vegetation management activities in 2014-15 occurred on 296,000 hectares of Queensland, the same land area as the previous report.

“These figures debunk the Palaszczuk Government’s claim that clearing rates are out of control and show that farmers are sustainably managing vegetation on just 0.15 per cent of Queensland.

“Labor is also conveniently ignoring that 261,000 hectares of vegetation was cleared under Labor laws in 2012-13 – the very same laws they’re now claiming will protect the Reef.

“We urge Queenslanders to see through Labor’s manipulation of data and understand that farmers need to manage vegetation to protect pasture growth, build fences and feed livestock during drought.

“Annastacia Palaszczuk and Labor claim farmers are environmental vandals\, but they’re not. They look after their land to make sure it’s productive for future generations.

“Ms Trad and Mr Miles have again proven themselves incapable of being honest with Queenslanders about land management rates – fudging the figures to suit their own political agenda.”

Mr Cripps said Labor appeared to have included activities such as fodder harvesting and vegetation thinning as ‘broad scale land clearing’ in their latest analysis.

“Labor has not disclosed how much vegetation was harvested for fodder in drought affected areas and given the report covers a period preceding recent rainfall in drought affected areas, this is important.

“We understand Labor’s figures may also include vegetation thinning which is the selective removal of some trees in a paddock to allow more sun for pasture growth for cattle. This practice deliberately maintains trees as ecosystems for native wildlife – yet Labor would have you believe its broadscale vegetation clearing,” he said.

“Labor has also not been honest about the fact that 62 per cent of all vegetation management activities in the 2014-15 report involved farming families managing regrowth on previously cleared land – a practice essential to maintain pasture to feed livestock.”

“We stand right beside farmers and graziers on this core agricultural issue and will continue to fight Labor’s unfair rollback of sensible vegetation management laws.”