E-Petition

Queensland Residents draws to the attention of the House

Land clearing is the single greatest threat to the health of Queensland’s
natural environment. We clear more bushland than any other state, and
more than most other countries. Land clearing is destroying precious
areas of native bushland, and causing the deaths of countless native
birds and animals. It is also the major cause of dryland salinity which
threatens the sustainability of our agricultural industries. Controlling
land clearing now would save millions of dollars by preventing serious
environmental problems in the future. Queensland has a chance to avoid
the mistakes made in southern states by protecting our native bushland
now before it is too late.

Your petitioners therefore request the House to:

Amend the Vegetation Management Act 2000 and the Land Act 1994 to
implement a rapid phase out of land clearing in Queensland. At the same
time, farmers and landholders should be provided with a financial
transition package to help them manage their land more sustainably, and
alleviate any hardship caused by new clearing controls. Queensland
should expand its National Park system to protect more native bushland,
and provide incentives to encourage landholders to look after the
bushland on their property.