Scaremongering exposed in dishonest Green campaign
Categories: Shadow Minsterial
- Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATS) are being manipulated by green groups to trash the reputation of farmers
- Former LNP Government vegetation management framework was balanced and responsible
- Right to Information application has revealed green groups were using incorrect figures to exaggerate their claims
The dishonest scaremongering of an alliance of green groups has been exposed for their use of flawed data on the first day of a new campaign to frighten Queenslanders about vegetation management laws.
Shadow Natural Resources Minister, Andrew Cripps, said a Right to Information (RTI) application by The Australian had revealed green groups were using incorrect figures to exaggerate their claims.
Mr Cripps said he had previously warned Queenslanders that data in the Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATS) was being manipulated by green groups to trash the reputation of farmers.
“During the debate on the Palaszczuk Labor Government’s unjustified vegetation management bill last year, I highlighted just how SLATS was being unfairly used and abused by Labor” Mr Cripps said.
“To try to get that bill passed, Labor and the Greens ran a campaign of contrived misinformation about vegetation management activities in Queensland, but thankfully, that was rejected.
“Now the activist groups are back ahead of the state election to run a defacto campaign on behalf of Labor and they are peddling the same nonsense – but this time, they have been caught out.
“This RTI application underlines what I was saying during the debate last year – trees grow – and that quoting global figures in the SLATS report is dangerously misleading.
” Mr Cripps said the attempted “shock and awe” tactics by green activist groups were further compromised by the inclusion of certain types of management activities as vegetation clearing.
“I’m currently investigating the inclusion of thinning, fodder harvesting and other management activities in Labor’s published clearing rates data, a practice that is inappropriate and inaccurate,” Mr Cripps said.
“The reforms to Queensland’s vegetation management framework in 2013 by the former LNP Government were balanced and responsible, if people actually take the time to understand them.
“The focus on koala habitat on the weekend is a good example, because no changes were made to essential habitat mapping for koalas, or any other native species, as part of the 2013 vegetation management reforms.
“This do-nothing Government and the green activist groups are colluding to launch a bitter campaign against Queensland’s farmers and are using dodgy
figures to pad out their propaganda.”
Mr Cripps said Queenslanders shouldn’t be fooled by ideologically-based campaigns from Labor and the Greens.
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