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Questions On Notice Questions on notice are usually asked when a more detailed answer is required and are in writing, and are forwarded by the Clerk of the Parliament to the relevant Minister who prepares a written answer which is presented to Parliament.
Land and Vegetation Management practices |
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| Posted by Administrator (admin) on Jul 24 2006 |
| Questions On Notice >> |
Mr LAWLOR: At page 11 paragraph 2 of the Ministerial Portfolio Statement it states-
"To encourage voluntary compliance with natural resource statutory requirements and deter potential offenders,the department uses education, awareness and communication in an integrated compliance strategy".
Could you advise the committee how the engagement by AgForward, referred to on page 10 of the MPS, is assisting landholders to improve their land and vegetation management practices?
Mr PALASZCZUK: I thank the honourable member for the question. Education is a key element of administering the vegetation management framework. A range of initiatives have been employed to better assist an understanding of the requirements. A key initiative has been the AgForward Best Management Practice Program, run through AgForce. This $8 million program informs landholders of vegetation requirements and promotes good land management practices. The government has provided $4.5 million to support the activities of AgForward to date. AgForward has now held 95 workshops, training nearly 1,000 farm enterprises about vegetation management and property maps of assessable vegetation. Property maps are a key tool for landholders to lock in their category X vegetation-vegetation not covered by the act-that can currently be cleared to preserve their future right to clear.
AgForward has now commenced computer mapping workshops to help producers generate digital information for use in property planning and land management activities. These workshops are creating a better understanding of natural resource requirements and are assisting landholders to employ contemporary land management tools to better manage their land and businesses.
Other initiatives supported by the government include a collaborative project with the Queensland Conservation Council for managing weeds and vegetation. Through targeted workshops and support materials, this project will enhance an understanding about vegetation management and provide practical approaches for controlling weeds whilst protecting remnant vegetation. The Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Water and the Urban Development Institute of Australia also have a partnership project to assist in an understanding of development application requirements under the act. Currently being developed, the project aims to simplify the application process, reduce assessment delays through an improved quality of applications and ensure that impacts and vegetation are avoided or mitigated to the greatest extent possible at the planning stage. Unfortunately, there are still some landholders, albeit a few, who will do the wrong thing. For this reason compliance monitoring will continue to play a role in the administration of the act. However, most landholders simply need information to manage their land in consideration of a wide range of both regulatory and productivity requirements. These programs, supported by the government, will assist them to do so. Last changed: [PUBLISHED_DATE] at 3:35 PM
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