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Committee's report

The committee tabled its report on 3 September 2018. The government's response to the committee's report was tabled on 15 October 2018. The second reading of the Bill failed on 4 February 2020.

About the Bill

On 21 March 2018 Mr Robert Katter MP introduced the Vegetation Management (Clearing for Relevant Purposes) Amendment Bill 2018 into the Queensland Parliament as a Private Member’s Bill. The Bill was referred to the State Development, Natural Resources and Agricultural Industry Development Committee for detailed consideration.

The explanatory notes state that the primary policy objectives of the Bill are to amend the Vegetation Management Act 1999 (the Act):

• create an obligation on the chief executive to issue an information notice where an application for clearing, as assessed under section 22A of the Act, has been rejected; and
• remove “grazing activities” from the definition of high value agriculture clearing to ensure that it is considered a relevant purpose in the chief executive’s consideration of an application to clear under the Act.

These objectives have been developed to address gaps within the existing legislative framework that constrain the ability of primary producers to clear land for legitimate purposes and enable access to a reasonable appeals process.

On 17 May 2018, the Speaker, Hon Curtis Pitt, ruled clause 4 of this Bill out of order as it offended the same question rule under Standing Order 87(1). The Speaker's ruling can be viewed at page 1283 of the Record of Proceedings of 17 May 2018.

Timeline