EXTENSION for deadline for submissions on the Vegetation Management (Reinstatement) Bill to
Friday 29 April 2016! - update provided by The Environmental Defenders Office Qld.
Key points we suggest you could include in your submissions: - Who you or your group are, what are your objectives and any case examples about land clearing
- Reasons why you care about protecting our vegetation – e.g. do you care about:
- protecting koalas, or other threatened species of concern to you;
- the impact of tree clearing on increasing drought in our already drought stricken state – it has now been proven that the more trees we have, the more rain we have;
- the impact of tree clearing on climate change – tree clearing causes millions of tonnes of CO2 to be released into our atmosphere;
- tree clearing near catchments can cause land erosion and run off into our river catchments – the erosion and run off caused by clearing along the Great Barrier Reef catchment banks is a leading cause of impacts to our Reef; or
- any other issues you are concerned about that are relevant to your area.
- Support the passing of the bill, to protect Queensland’s ecosystems and wildlife. This bill is important particularly because it:
- reinstates the protection of high value regrowth on freehold and indigenous land;
- removes provisions which permit clearing applications for high value agriculture and irrigated agriculture;
- broadens protection of riparian vegetation, especially in the Great Barrier Reef catchments of Burnett Mary, Eastern Cape York and Fitzroy Great Barrier Reef;
- reinstates the application of the riverine protection permit framework to the destruction of vegetation in a watercourse, lake or spring; and
- reinstates a broader requirement for environmental offsets to be required for any residual impact, not just ‘significant’ impacts as is currently provided for in offsets legislation (and has led to only 1 offset being registered for vegetation impacts since 2014).
A hand written letter or text document can be posted / faxed to 07 3553 6699 / emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Postal address Research Director
Agriculture and Environment Committee
Parliament House
BRISBANE QLD 4000
Submissions must include:
- the author’s name and signature
- if the submission is made on behalf of an organisation, the level of approval (e.g. a local branch, executive committee or national organisation)
- mailing address (and email if available)
- daytime telephone number
To have this significant legislation re-instated is vitally important for the future well-being of the land and all species and ecosystems that rely on a healthy forested landscape. CLICK ON WWF image above to make your submission online to your local state MP. Not all members of the opposition - or independants - are opposed to re-instatement of this legislation. It is also an opportunity extend the legislation to close loopholes. As WWF point out The VMROLA Bill is already a significant compromise. Damaging loopholes remain and should be closed. - Most exemptions will remain, in particular the urban exemption.
- The reliance on self-assessable codes introduced in 2013 is retained.
- The ability to withhold incriminating evidence of illegal clearing from the prosecution is retained.
- 22 million hectares of bushland made exempt on property maps will continue to be open to repeated clearing regardless it may fall in stream buffer zones, endangered ecosystems, habitat for threatened species and high slopes.
- However brief - please make a submission to support the re-instatement of this vegetation protection legislation.