Press Releases
10 February 2010 - FutureFood QLD welcomes protection of prime farmlandStatewide Community group, FutureFood QLD today welcomed the Qld Government’s commitment to protecting prime farmland from mining.
The announcement, made today by Infrastructure and Planning minister Stirling Hinchliffe is “designed to propose a system to conserve and manage Queensland’s key food producing land for the long term.” Minister Hinchliffe announced the paper in parliament today saying “The proposed framework ensures mining, urban and other development that permanently alienates the land, or reduces its productivity, cannot occur unless it is overwhelmingly in the public interest.”
FutureFood Qld Co-Chairmen, Charlie Wilson and Geoff Hewitt said “it was a watershed moment in Queensland’s history” and went on to say ”the Bligh government should be given credit for recognising the urgent need to implement new policy that recognises the critical role Queensland’s small areas of prime farmland play in providing safe, clean food to Queenslanders, as well as underpinning the viability of many fragile regional communities”.
“The community demands better long term outcomes than the “mine at any cost” mentality would deliver” Mr Wilson said. “We need our mining industry to continue to grow in Queensland, to create new jobs and revenue streams, but mining our scarce prime farmland is a price the community is not willing to pay”.
In February 2009 FFQ called on the Queensland Government to introduce a planning process to identify and protect Queensland’s best cropping lands from mining. “We have had good dialogue with the Queensland Government at many levels, and it is pleasing to see our calls have been heard”, Mr Hewitt said.
“Currently only 3.5% of Queensland is suitable for crop production, and we estimate much less, probably 2% in total is prime quality. We must protect these areas for food production and for future generations” Mr Hewitt said.
However FFQ also sounded a note of caution to the state’s farmers. ‘Farmers need to be realistic about what to expect from this process”, Mr Hewitt warned.” It is unrealistic to expect every farm to be classified as “prime”. We need a scientific, factual and unemotive process to identify the qualities that make some areas special.
Naturally all farmers have an affinity with their land, and being forced off to make room for mining is an emotional and difficult time, so in these cases landowners should be given generous compensation and respect by the mining companies” Mr Hewitt said.
‘We look forward to having further input into the process and congratulate the government on its commitment to protecting prime farmland’ Hewitt said.
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