Reef regulations
Reef regulations
AgForce’s ongoing message to the Queensland Government is that engagement and extension are the long-term solutions for environmentally-sustainable food production, not mandatory regulations. AgForce believes the complex ERMP documentation and annual reporting required from all producers affected by the Reef Protection Regulations will not achieve the Government’s intended outcomes for long-term reef water quality.
Simplified Environmental Management Plan
AgForce met with the Premier in relation to Reef Regulations in October 2010 to highlight the serious concerns surrounding the issue. The Premier made it clear that the legislation would stay in place but conceded to establishing an industry working group for the purposes of simplifying the ERMP. The simplified industry version (EMP) can be used by Burdekin producers in place of the Government version to comply with the Reef Legislation.
Queensland's new Reef Protection legislation came into effect on January 1, 2010.
The impacted catchments include the Wet Tropics, the Burdekin and Mackay/Whitsundays. For these producers there are two elements involved:
Burdekin Dry Tropics catchment graziers will have received the ReefWise Farming Reef Protection Package containing the Environmental Risk Management Plan (ERMP) documents from the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM).
The State Governments aim for the legislation is to reduce farming and grazing impacts on water quality entering the Great Barrier Reef, following Premier Bligh’s election commitment to implement such legislation.
AgForce’s ongoing message to the Queensland Government is that engagement and extension are the long-term solutions for environmentally-sustainable food production, not mandatory regulations. AgForce believes the complex ERMP documentation and annual reporting required from all producers affected by the Reef Protection Regulations will not achieve the Government’s intended outcomes for long-term reef water quality.
Simplified Environmental Management Plan
AgForce met with the Premier in relation to Reef Regulations in October 2010 to highlight the serious concerns surrounding the issue. The Premier made it clear that the legislation would stay in place but conceded to establishing an industry working group for the purposes of simplifying the ERMP. The simplified industry version (EMP) can be used by Burdekin producers in place of the Government version to comply with the Reef Legislation.
Queensland's new Reef Protection legislation came into effect on January 1, 2010.
The impacted catchments include the Wet Tropics, the Burdekin and Mackay/Whitsundays. For these producers there are two elements involved:
- Records must be kept for certain residual herbicides and fertilised pastures. For some graziers chemical accreditation and secondly ERMPs are required for grazing properties greater than 2000ha in the Burdekin Dry Tropics Catchment.
- Graziers with properties greater than 2000ha must also file an annual report with photo-monitoring and track the progress of actions set out the in EMP guidelines.
Burdekin Dry Tropics catchment graziers will have received the ReefWise Farming Reef Protection Package containing the Environmental Risk Management Plan (ERMP) documents from the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM).
The State Governments aim for the legislation is to reduce farming and grazing impacts on water quality entering the Great Barrier Reef, following Premier Bligh’s election commitment to implement such legislation.