12 September 2025
Queensland Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation
400 George St
BRISBANE QLD 4000
Email: stewardship@detsi.qld.gov.au
To Whom It May Concern,
RE: AgForce Queensland Farmers Ltd Submission to the Queensland Government’s Discussion Paper on Private Protected Areas
AgForce Queensland Farmers Limited (AgForce) is a peak organisation representing Queensland’s cane, cattle, grain and sheep, wool & goat producers. The cane, beef, broadacre cropping and sheep, wool & goat industries in Queensland generated around $11.2 billion in on-farm value of production in 2022-23. AgForce’s purpose is to advance sustainable agribusiness and strives to ensure the long-term growth, viability, competitiveness and profitability of these industries. Over 6,000 farmers, individuals and businesses provide support to AgForce through membership. Our members own and manage around 55 million hectares, or a third of the state’s land area. Queensland producers provide high-quality food and fibre to Australian and overseas consumers, contribute significantly to the social fabric of regional, rural and remote communities, as well as deliver stewardship of the state’s natural environment.
AgForce welcomes the Queensland Government’s commitment to strengthening partnerships with landholders through its Discussion Paper, 'A Fresh Start for Private Protected Areas.' We acknowledge the importance of private landholders in conserving Queensland’s biodiversity while maintaining productive agricultural enterprises.
AgForce supports the principle of rewarding land stewardship and recognises the significant role landholders play in achieving Queensland’s conservation goals; however, the past decade has seen a decline in landholder awareness regarding existing environmental stewardship schemes, driven by limited on-ground engagement and extension officers. The Government’s intent to increase the extent and efficacy of Queensland’s Private Protected Areas estate will require significant consultation, engagement and education to help landholders identify property-specific opportunities to conserve and restore biodiversity whilst maintaining profitability and productivity.
Key AgForce Positions:
- Voluntary Participation – Agreements must remain entirely voluntary, recognising landholder autonomy.
- Incentives and Support – Strong, consistent incentives (financial and technical) are essential. Programs such as NatureAssist and Landholder Grants must be adequately funded and expanded.
- Primary Production Compatibility – Private protected areas must explicitly allow sustainable agriculture, grazing, fire management, pest and weed control, and timber management.
- No Change to Public Access – Participation must not alter existing landholder rights over public access.
- Practical Co-Design – Policy design must involve landholders at every stage, ensuring that obligations are realistic, manageable, and economically sustainable.
- Recognition of Broader Contributions – AgForce supports recognition of Other Effective Conservation Measures (OECMs), provided criteria are practical and landholder-friendly.
- Avoid Regulatory Overreach – Expansion of the protected area estate must not create unintended regulatory burdens on agriculture or impact market access.
AgForce encourages the Government to focus on incentive-driven, voluntary partnerships that respect and enable sustainable primary production while delivering biodiversity outcomes.
Recommendations:
- Expand extension services across Queensland to provide landholders with practical advice on biodiversity stewardship, fire and drought resilience, and property management, while linking conservation with sustainable production and market access opportunities.
- Create a streamlined environmental stewardship framework to bring all environmental programs together, enabling private landholders to compare options and select those that best suit individual circumstances. This should include a single government web portal and, similar to Recommendation 1, provide for expert extension officers to guide landholders toward the most suitable program for their needs.
- A planning framework that prioritises land for stewardship agreements, and introduce regular stewardship payments (half-yearly or annually), supported by tax incentives, to reward landholders who conserve high-value ecological areas or restore threatened ecosystems, ensuring that on-farm conservation is financially competitive and attractive.
AgForce looks forward to engaging further through the consultation process and working with the Government to ensure a balanced and effective future for Queensland’s private protected areas.
Sincerely,
Michael Allpass
for
Mr Shane McCarthy
A/CEO-General President
AgForce Queensland Farmers Ltd