The LNP Opposition shares the concerns raised by AgForce that green groups are refusing to negotiate with famers in good faith about the future of Queensland’s vegetation management framework.

Shadow Minister for Natural Resources Andrew Cripps said, AgForce’s statement about green groups believing they had Queensland Labor Ministers in their pocket was unfortunately, nothing new.

“The fact green groups feel they don’t need to negotiate in order to secure the roll back of the LNP’s 2013 reforms to the Vegetation Management Act (VMA) was to be expected,” Mr Cripps said.

“Look back at the hysterical behaviour of Labor MPs who locked in behind green activists in 2013 when the former LNP Government removed some of the more oppressive provisions in Labor’s VMA.

“Those Labor MPs are now Ministers like Deputy Premier Jackie Trad, who does the bidding of the greens in cabinet and Environment Minister, Steven Miles, who only won his seat on green preferences, after trailing the former LNP member by 10 per cent on primary votes.

“Labor made several commitments to the Greens in return for preferences at the last state election and their current behaviour should come as no surprise to AgForce, if you look back through history.

“Labor has conspired with the Greens at every state election since 1998, first to introduce the VMA in 1999 and then to turn the screws on landowners at every subsequent election, to make it harder and harder for them to sustainably manage vegetation on their properties.”

Mr Cripps said the LNP had consistently stood up for landholders over the last 15 years and in 2013, introduced a range of self-assessable codes that allowed landowners to manage regrowth.

“Since the election, Labor and the extreme greens have been getting the screwdrivers ready, while the Natural Resources Minister, is meekly promising consultation – the fix is in,” he said.

“A blistering letter from The Wilderness Society to the Premier in September, complains Labor has been too slow to repeal the LNP’s VMA changes, demanding a moratorium on vegetation management activities.

“The only thing holding Labor back has been the precarious numbers in the Queensland Parliament but that hasn’t stopped them from finding other ways to make life more difficult for landowners.

“Minister Lynham has announced a review of the state policy for vegetation management, which should be ringing alarm bells for all rural industries.

“This is on top of a series of vindictive and baseless investigations launched by Labor into approved and permitted activities on several properties.”