President John Cotter says AgForce’s position on regrowth clearing remains not negotiable.

Anecdotal evidence is already emerging from some producers who could lose up to half of their productive capacity if the three-month moratorium introduced this week by the Queensland Government translates into a permanent ban.

“We are urging all producers affected by the regrowth moratorium to visit the AgForce website at www.agforceqld.org.au and complete the survey as a matter of urgency so that we can collate an accurate picture of the potential impacts to make our case to government,” Mr Cotter says.

He says the loss of one million hectares of productive land will further erode the productivity and sustainability of the food and fibre sector which generates $13 billion for the Queensland economy and has been identified as one of the only bright spots at this time of economic uncertainty.

AgForce believes the proposed changes are unacceptable because they will translate into a loss of jobs at a time when the government should be making decisions that create jobs not reduce them.

“At this time of global economic crisis, building the economy should be at the forefront of every government policy decision now and in future rather than locking up land for dubious and unsubstantiated environmental gain,” Mr Cotter says.

“Growing the state economy and supporting the performance of businesses is required at this time, not slashing it and hindering businesses from generating income and jobs for the entire state.”

Mr Cotter says the best environmental outcomes are achieved when land management decisions are made in partnership with industry using genuine market-based incentives that do not jeopardise the livelihoods and sustainability of rural businesses.

“We are seeking to stop knee-jerk politics – the government did not have a mandate for reducing output from productive land but it did have a mandate to generate and protect jobs,” he says.

“Shutting down regrowth management on one million hectares of productive farm land will cost jobs, and that is a point we will be making strongly to government in coming months.”