Invasive Pest Management Scheme

Eligibility - Queensland residents
Principal Petitioner:
Robert Hudson
PO Box 653
WARWICK QLD 4370
Total Signatures - 76
Sponsoring Member: The Clerk of the Parliament
Posting Date: 18/9/2018
Tabled Date: 18/9/2018
Responded By: Hon Stirling Hinchliffe MP on 18/10/2018
TO: The Honourable the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland

Queensland residents, in the Southern Downs Regional Council area, draws to the attention of the House the unfairness of and the flaws in the Southern Downs Regional Council's Invasive Pest Management Scheme. We the petitioners believe that the current scheme, which is penalties-based through fines called "Supplementary Rates Notices" should be replaced by an incentive-based scheme which rewards landowners for pest eradication efforts on private and crown land. We believe that it is unfair to penalise landowners for their failure to control pests on their properties when nearby crown land controlled by the Southern Downs Regional Council and the Queensland Government is infested with pests. We further believe that drought-affected landowners who choose to retain tree pear and other edible species for cattle fodder should be allowed to do so.

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to legislate to prevent local government authorities from imposing fines of any sort for the inability to control invasive pests.