Mr Scanlan said his organisation was continually frustrated by the Government's rebuffs to its attempts at establishing a research partnership.

"We've been pretty much rejected at every turn - they're just not interested," he said.

"As custodians of the equity of the Leslie Centre, we've indicated our desire to work with Government on developing a greenfield site or developing something else more modern and appropriate, but essentially they've told us to take a hike."

But potential lawsuits and disgruntled farmers are just the start of the Minister's problems, as the perception outside of Brisbane grows that the Labor Government is inherently hostile to farmers, based on the record of Anna Bligh and her predecessor Peter Beattie, which has seen:

• The vegetation management debacle, creating a loss of property rights, land value and productive capacity.
• A massive loss of frontline QPIF staff, including inspectors, agronomists and vets.
• Destruction of research capacity, such as the sale of research farm assets and redundancies for senior researchers.
• Newly introduced reef legislation which paints farmers as environmental vandals.
• Deals with city greens which have nothing to do with protecting the environment, but everything to do with shoring up green preferences.
• Failure to protect Queensland's prime farm lands from mining.
• A massive rundown of QR's cattle train services and rail infrastructure, which is now costing the beef industry big dollars and thousands of shifts for meatworkers every week.
• A massive failure to invest in water infrastructure, except for the controversial Traveston Crossing Dam proposal.

While it would seem logical to have all hands on deck to achieve the biggest ramp-up of agricultural production in Queensland's history, farmers say this won't happen while their very hands are tied by such a raft of State Government legislation, regulation and political stunts aimed at increasing their cost burden and hampering their ability to do business.

AgForce president John Cotter issued a statement last week calling the restrictions on farmers operating near the Great Barrier Reef "unacceptable and unnecessary" because they fail to take into account the steps already taken to improve land management.

Growcom chairman John Bishop is still trying to get traction from the Government on reviewing its withdrawal of flying fox shooting permits for fruit growers.

Mr Mulherin calls his new strategy for the way Queensland produces its food and fibre as a "fresh approach", but it's hitting a sour note with primary producers, who wonder when the Minister will instead raise his voice and call for restraint among his Bligh Government colleagues to lay off the bush.

When QCL asked Mr Mulherin how he would win back the trust of Queensland farmers and rebuild the relationship with the bush in the wake of his Government's track record he replied:

"I'll continue to do what I do best and that's engage with farmers on the issues they see as important to take their industry forward.

"I think I've demonstrated that I have an open door, I'm open with people and transparent in the way I go about things."

But Opposition spokesman Ray Hopper said it might be too late for the Minister, who is rapidly losing an attentive audience.

"Regional Queensland is sick to death of Minister Mulherin's ridiculous spin about his fresh approach, disinvesting to re-invest and his new buzzwords of building partnerships - there's no building with him," Mr Hopper said.

"It's all pull down, tear-up and flog it off. For primary industries, it's been a decade of deceit, broken promises and smashed partnerships."