28 September 2026. Belinda Callanan, AgForce South East Queensland President.
The past three months have certainly kept AgForce South East Queensland (SEQ) busy, with drought, regulatory reform, land access, biosecurity, fuel and diesel price fluctuations, and the ongoing expansion of renewable energy projects continuing to be major issues for producers across our region.
Importantly, these are not just issues we are hearing about. AgForce is actively taking producer concerns to government, regulators and decision-makers and pushing for practical outcomes that protect productive agriculture.
Dry conditions remain a significant concern across large areas of SEQ. While rainfall has been variable, many producers are seeing pasture availability decline significantly and are having to make increasingly difficult decisions around feed, water, stocking rates and input costs. The message from producers is clear – the impacts of the dry are being felt well beyond the farm gate.
Land access and renewable energy development also continue to be a major focus for SEQ. We are hearing from producers concerned about the scale and pace of development and the impacts on agricultural land, property operations and neighbouring communities. AgForce has continued to advocate directly on land access and development proposals, pushing for stronger protections for landholders, productive agricultural land and the long-term viability of farm businesses.
Development cannot come at the expense of a producer’s ability to operate their business or leave landholders carrying unacceptable impacts. Ensuring landholders have appropriate protections and a genuine voice in the process remains a priority for AgForce.
The EPBC reform process has also generated strong interest across the region. AgForce brought the National EPA directly to producers in SEQ so members could hear first-hand how the new Federal environmental rules may affect their businesses and challenge the regulator directly on where those rules do not work in practice.
