• Labor continues to perpetrate lies over vegetation management practices in Queensland

• LNP reforms allowed farmers to sustainably manage vegetation and protect environment

• While Labor continues to demonise farmers, the LNP will stand up for them

Labor’s Environment Minister Steven Miles, continued to deliberately lie about the former LNP Government’s 2013 reforms to the vegetation management framework, the LNP said today.

Shadow Natural Resources Minister Andrew Cripps said a recent media release from Dr Miles included a number of false and misleading claims.

Mr Cripps said as the former Natural Resources Minister, he did not advise that vegetation laws would not be enforced, that investigations would cease, or that charges would be dropped.

“My statement of 19 April 2012 makes it clear I put existing investigations on hold only and requested the department withdraw from appeals on sentences already handed down,” Mr Cripps said.

“I also requested a review of penalties handed down under the Vegetation Management Act, which revealed a legitimate issue in terms of the application of the former penalty guide.

“As usual, Steven Miles’ accusations on vegetation management are designed to demonise farmers and impress his extreme green activist mates and factional chief, Jackie Trad.

“In fact, my statement of 10 September 2012, stressed the LNP’s reforms did not mean environmental standards were being relaxed, or that the changes were a green light for clearing.”

Mr Cripps said he made it clear in 2012 that inappropriate vegetation management practices would still be detected through regular satellite monitoring and compliance activities would continue.

“This historical revisionism from Steven Miles is typical of his fear-mongering and as for clearing rates, he is again selectively quoting data from previous SLATS reports to suit his argument,” he said.

“It may be an inconvenient truth for Labor, but 260,000 hectares of land was cleared in 2012-13, a period completely covered by vegetation management laws put in place by the Bligh Government.

“The report used by Minister Miles to attack the LNP clearly shows that there was no significant escalation in vegetation management activities in Queensland following our 2013 reforms.”