Agricultural
12 December, 2025
Environmental law change highly controversial
Farmer advocacy groups and federal and state politicians have joined the chorus of dissent unhappy with the Commonwealth Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025 recently passed in Federal Parliament after the Federal Labor Government accepted wide-reaching amendments from The Greens.
The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF), AgForce Queensland, The Nationals leader and Maranoa MP David Littleproud, Primary Industries Minister Tony Perrett and Condamine MP Pat Weir are among those who have voiced their concern.
The amendments place onerous conditions on landholders managing regrowth on their properties, including removing the ‘continuing use’ exemption for vegetation more than 15 years’ old which means landholders with Category X vegetation areas on their property will be required to apply for assessment and approval under the EPBC Act.
AgForce General President Shane McCarthy, appearing with Mr Perrett and Mr Weir at Wyreema recently, said the implementation phase will determine how the reforms function in reality.
“What happens in the implementation phase will decide whether these laws support environmental outcomes or unintentionally restrict the routine land management that keeps Queensland landscapes healthy, productive and safe,” Mr McCarthy said.
He said Queensland’s extraordinary diversity must be central to the bilaterals.
“Queensland is not one landscape - it’s dozens of bioregions with completely different soils, ecosystems and regrowth behaviour,” he said.
“What works in southern Queensland doesn’t work in the north. What works in Victoria doesn’t work here at all.
“National rules must recognise regional science if they are to work on the ground.”
Mr McCarthy said the 15-year rule and narrowing of continuing use must be interpreted through how Queensland country actually behaves.
“Regrowth here doesn’t follow fixed timelines - it responds to rainfall, seasons and landscape type,” he said.
“In many bioregions vegetation can return extremely quickly, and producers must be able to manage that safely and responsibly.
“We are already some of the most regulated farmers in the world,” he said.
“To clear even one tree requires a huge process.”
He also highlighted the need for accuracy in how vegetation change is understood.
“Much of what gets reported nationally as ‘deforestation’ is the result of intense bushfires across unmanaged or overgrown landscapes,” he said.
“Only a very small portion relates to agriculture, and much of that is managing regrowth or encroachment to improve biodiversity and reduce fire risk.”
Mr McCarthy said practical implementation now requires producers at the table.
“AgForce is ready to work with Minister Watt to ensure the bilaterals recognise Queensland’s bioregions, protect long-standing land-use rights and support both biodiversity and food production.”
Minister for Primary Industries Tony Perrett said these changes mean family farms that have been operating for generations will be forced to go through the same bureaucratic processes as mining companies.
“The Labor-Greens deal is an insult to Queensland’s farmers and forestry workers which overrides local knowledge, ignores decades of land stewardship and creates new federal powers to interfere in property rights,” Mr Perrett said.
“This deal completely ignores the realities of farming and imposes more red tape for people who are already doing the right thing.
“This Labor-Greens legislation puts more uncertainty over land use, forestry operations, and vegetation management, without any real consultation.”
NFF President Hamish McIntyre said as stewards of more than half of Australia’s environment, farmers understand the importance of doing the right thing by the land.
“They’ve also historically borne the brunt of complex federal environmental laws, often at odds with state obligations,” Mr McIntyre said.
“That’s why the NFF has supported genuine reform, but not this deal.
“Our key concern is the announcement of ‘closer controls’ of ‘high risk land clearing’.
“The specifics of this remain unclear, and we are urgently calling for clarity.
“The introduction of reduced regrowth thresholds to the long-established ‘continuing use’ provision will promote poor environmental outcomes and increase bushfire risk.
“It will interfere with routine vegetation management of regrowth to prevent bushfires, keep land productive, and manage weeds.
“The misunderstanding of agricultural practices is bitterly disappointing.
“The NFF will continue to try to make these reforms as workable for the farm sector as possible.”
