EXPRESS The
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Locally owned and proudly independent
Fresh faces join experienced team at MSC
Mareeba Shire Council (MSC) held their first Ordinary Council meeting last Wednesday morning, with all councillors officially sworn in. Under the guidance of Mayor Tom Gilmore, incumbent councillors ‘Nipper’ Brown, Alan Pedersen and Mary Graham will be joined by Angela Toppin, Lenore Wyatt and Kevin Davies. Despite the fresh faces, it appears to be business as usual at the MSC, with Mayor Gilmore committed to the long-term development of the Shire. Pictured: (L-R) ‘Nipper’ Brown, Lenore Wyatt, Mary Graham , Tom Gilmore, Angela Toppin, Kevin Davies and Alan Pedersen. Photo by Peter Roy
Land custodians By Justin Fris
I
F you are an avid gardener around your home, how would you feel if one day you were informed by the State Government that you can no longer legally mow or develop your own garden? Substitute ‘home’ with ‘farm’ (along with a few other specifics) and you have the current situation looming for landowners across the Far North. A Bill inspired by Deputy Premier Jackie Trad (Vegetation Management (Reinstatement) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2016) has
been fast tracked through parliament in recent weeks and has the potential to stifle land development in our region. The Bill has been presented to the State-based Agriculture and Environment committee for consideration, with landowners having until April 25 to provide a personal submission to them. Effectively, the proposed legislation would: • Tighten the vegetation management framework for controlling land clearing in Queensland (End provisions for High Value Agriculture and Irrigated High Value Agriculture) • Limit the clearing of riparian vegetation, especially in the Great Barrier Reef catchments;
and broaden the protection of regrowth vegetation in watercourse areas to the Burnett-Mary, Eastern Cape York and Fitzroy Great Barrier Reef catchments; • Reinstate the protection of high value regrowth on freehold and indigenous land; • Remove provisions which permit clearing applications for high value agriculture and irrigated high value agriculture; • Reinstate compliance provisions for the reverse onus of proof and remove the ‘mistake of fact’ defence for vegetation clearing offences. Reinstate the application of the riverine protection permit framework to the destruction of
vegetation in a watercourse, lake or spring • Reinstate certain environmental offset requirements The proposed legislation has been universally panned by local landowners, members of the LNP and both KAP crossbenchers. Independent Member for Cook Billy Gordon has initially sided with the Palaszczuk Government on the matter. Peter Spies – a passionate landowner from East Barron – pulled no punches in his analysis of the situation for landowners across the region. “Landowners are custodians of their land,” he said. CONTINUED PAGE 5
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Debbie Sweedman debbie@amarooestate.com.au
Residential Land
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