23 December 2025. Shane McCarthy, AgForce General President.
While to some it may seem like not much is happening at this time of year on the AgForce advocacy front, believe me when I say that we are working very hard in the background to ensure the best outcomes for producers.
We try in a variety of ways to ensure you are impacted as little as possible, or certainly less than you are currently, so you are able to keep doing what you do best - producing food and fibre.
Such as how AgForce has become the first state farming organisation to secure a dedicated member webinar with the Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water (DCCEEW). We had the first one on Friday. It’s a fantastic opportunity that gives Queensland producers direct access to Commonwealth officials and helps us all unpack what the EPBC Act reforms mean in practice.
This also of course reflects the scale of the concern among Queensland producers and our commitment to ensuring the challenges that we face are properly understood.
Over coming weeks, AgForce will remain heavily engaged with both State and Commonwealth counterparts - particularly where federal EPBC Act changes now overlap with Queensland vegetation and land-use laws.
We are working through these conflicts using practical case studies from producers, and have made numerous requests for official clarification on interim arrangements while these EPBC Act reforms are sorted out.
At this stage, key aspects of how federal and state legislation operate together are not fully clarified, creating further uncertainty for producers doing routine land and water management tasks that are a critical part of life on the land.
We have requested formal safe harbour for producers at this time, asking to revert back to our state legislation until the federal government can provide clarity on our future.
As part of this AgForce is proposing that a list of agricultural activities be officially exempt from EPBC self-assessment or referral.
We ask all producers to contact AgForce if you have experienced difficulties or delays using the EPBC portal, or received unclear advice through the EPBC process. Strong, real-world case studies from our members are essential to ensure government understands the impact of these reforms on the ground and how to support practical solutions.
AgForce will continue working through the holiday period to progress these issues and ensure Queensland’s agricultural, food security and environmental realities are reflected in decision-making. We are in constant meetings getting updates from all levels of government - both state and federal - to make sure producers’ concerns are heard. And we will continue to do this for the foreseeable future.
While the EPBC Act is taking up a lot of our time there are other issues we continue to deal with.
Our focus remains on protecting agricultural productivity and food security, while also achieving positive and credible environmental outcomes for Queensland landscapes.
Whilst we know producers are concerned about proposed gun reforms, we need everyone to stop and take a breath. We need to support the Jewish community’s grieving process over what’s happened, so they can deal with their loss. Then after that, we can engage in debate on gun reform at the appropriate time.
We’re talking to state ministers about it already and we’re confident that we are on the same page.
I wish everyone a Merry Christmas, and hope you all receive your dream present of Goldilocks rain - not too much and not too little.
And don’t forget - every family needs a farmer.