Demand for land across Queensland is increasing. This is driven by population and urban development growth, renewable energy and infrastructure developments and their associated offset requirements, and environmental projects including carbon and biodiversity schemes.
While this does present opportunities for many landholders, the scale and pace of growth in Queensland is placing additional pressure on agricultural production and creating a range of challenges for existing farming enterprises. The way land use planning is managed into the future will significantly impact on food and fibre production with the impacts, both negative and positive, ultimately flowing through to consumers.
We must remember that providing food and fibre for an increasing global population is an important land use in its own right and that loss of agricultural land for any other purpose potentially impacts this.
QFF advocates for support and/or establishment of coexistence institutions that are appropriately resourced and operating in an effective manner to provide information and education to farmers and regional communities.
Further reform is urgently needed to address existing legislative barriers and inconsistencies that make it difficult for an effective coexistence framework to operate.