AgForce, a leading advocate for Queensland’s agricultural sector, today called on the Queensland Government to translate promised landholder protections into enforceable legislation as it considers the proposed Critical Minerals Bill. The organisation maintains that verbal assurances and internal guidelines alone are insufficient to safeguard farming families and agricultural enterprises facing significant impacts from expanded State Strategic Project powers.
“If the Government is telling Queensland farmers these powers will not be used to undermine their property rights, then put that protection in the legislation,” said Shane McCarthy, General President, AgForce.
AgForce has affirmed its support for responsible development, investment and projects of genuine State significance, such as critical minerals. But the Bill could potentially apply to any project, not just critical mineral mining. The organisation insists that the Government must provide clear statutory guarantees for landholders within the text of the Critical Minerals Bill. Mr McCarthy, a farmer from Hughenden in North West Queensland, understands the direct consequences of these policies on water, land access, biosecurity and long-term productivity for farming and grazier families.
The Bill, if passed, would establish a broader State Strategic Project regime, granting proponents access to powers over land access, enabling works, compulsory acquisition and mechanisms that may override existing legislation mandating these issues to be agreed upon before the proponent can start any work. AgForce believes the central issue is not the good intentions of the current administration but the latent capacity of any future Government to use these powers.
“A guideline can change. A Minister can change. A Government can change. The legislation is what farmers will ultimately have to rely on,” said Shane McCarthy.
“Good legislation should protect people regardless of who happens to be who is in Government.”
To address sector concerns, AgForce is pushing for a set of minimum statutory requirements. The organisation proposes the inclusion of good-faith commercial negotiation protocols, the extension of the minimum final-offer period from 10 business days to 60 business days and a protected entitlement for landholders to have professional costs covered during negotiations. These professional costs may include legal, accounting, valuation, agronomic and other forms of expert advice.
“When you are talking about someone’s farm, you are not talking about an empty parcel on a map. You are talking about a business, someone’s livelihood, generations of work, livestock, water infrastructure, livestock infrastructure, roads and in many cases the future of a family. That is why this matters to me personally as a grazier, and why it matters to AgForce,” said Mr McCarthy.
Mr McCarthy has called on all Queensland farmers, graziers and landowners to contact their local State Members of Parliament to advocate for legal recognition of these protections before the proposed Bill moves forward. He emphasises the impact for regional resilience, property rights and fair negotiations if reform remains only at the guideline level.
“A farmer sitting across the table from a major project proponent should not have to spend tens of thousands of dollars simply to understand and defend their own position. If Government can put these protections in guidelines, it can put them in legislation. That is what we are asking them to do,” said Mr McCarthy.
