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Queensland Natural Resources and Mines Minister Anthony Lynham announced the changes earlier this month. Queensland's restricted land framework will now include all types of resources including petroleum and gas development, whereas previously it was only applied to coal and mineral mining.
While the Queensland Farmers' Federation welcomed the addition, president Stuart Armitage said farmers remained unsatisfied with the continued exclusion of farmers' essential infrastructure.
Under the legislation a restricted land area can be established around buildings such as homes, hospitals and child care centres, providing landholders the right to say no to any authorised resource activities within 200 metres.
Protection zones around selected agricultural assets, allowing landholders to say 'no' to resource activities within 50 metres of some critical infrastructure such as principal stockyards, bores and dams are also included.
Armitage said QFF did not believe the changes and restricted land areas went far enough to provide protection to all critical farming infrastructure.
"QFF was disappointed that the provisions in s68(1)(a) - pertaining to 'restricted land' in the Mineral and Other Legislation Amendment (MOLA) Bill 2016 were not extended to include critical farm infrastructure," Armitage said.
In its submission, QFF recommended that farm infrastructure should be included in the provisions for protected status, including:
irrigation channels and drains
other on-farm management infrastructure for controlling surface water flows including contour banks, graded banks, levees and land which has been subject to 'laser levelling'
hydroponic facilities and other intensive horticultural buildings
land-uses such as vineyards and orchards
"QFF again calls on the Minister to ensure farmers receive the same rights to protect their investments in irrigation and similar infrastructure on farm."
"QFF will work with the government to re-establish these protections which will offer more certainty and safety to the agricultural community."
