Cynthia Sabag grows tropical and exotic fruit, like rambutan in north Queensland. For the past ten years she has been struggling to get permission to fell trees to expand her growing area. In her experience, gaining permission to fell trees is not as easy as some have portrayed it to be in the ongoing political debate about the future of tree clearing laws.
Sabag labelled ‘an emotional lie’ the campaign being waged against the existing rights of freehold landowners to clear land for high-value agricultural purposes.
Mrs Sabag and her husband, Pius, have a permit to clear 11.8 hectares to expand their Tully Valley orchard, adjacent to Wet Tropics rainforest.
As part of the development approval, they agreed to protect 55 per cent of their land including 100-metre wide riparian and wildlife corridors across their 70-hectare property.
“We accept that, I mean we had no choice … (but) we’ve been here for 32 years, we have some wetlands with reeds and they are in pristine condition.
“They’re exactly the same as they were when we first came so our farming over this period of time has not impacted on them.
“So, I think 100-metres is a bit unrealistic. I think it needs to be in tune with the size of the waterways and wetlands and the actual configuration of the land.”
Mrs Sabag said it had been a protracted and costly battle and there was still no certainty about the future if the laws were changed again.
As the Palaszczuk government prepares to introduce its proposed amendments to Queensland’s vegetation management legislation, Environment Minister Steven Miles has made no secret of his determination to stop what he regards as a proliferation of tree clearing since laws were ‘weakened’ by the previous LNP Government.
But after enduring two devastating tropical cyclones in a decade, the Sabags believe the permit they have been able to gain under the existing legislation represents their best chance of a viable future growing rambutans and other tropical exotic fruit.
Both in their 70s, they are hoping it is not too late to realise the economic potential of their land through increased production and export opportunities.
Source: Fresh Plaza