As local land holders continue the fight to keep weeds and pests under control in the North West region, the Queensland Government has purchased 35,300 acres of land to become National Park.

‘The Lakes’ property, North of Hughenden has been purchased by the Queensland Government who have opted to turn it into National Park. Rangers are trying to maintain these vast tracts of land, however, are heavily under resourced meaning that weeds and pests are left to run rampant throughout these National Parks despite any good intentions of improving land conditions.

Some local producers in the region spend crippling amounts of money each year fighting weeds and pests, attempting to stop them choking out native or beneficial flora and fauna and degrading and eroding the soils. I have constant reports from adjoining owners of National Parks that they are some of the worst neighbours possible, in terms of spreading pests and weeks and fire risk.

KAP Leader and Traeger MP Robbie Katter has indicated that, on the balance, land is much better being cared for by private land holders with a view to constantly improving their land management practices. It can be safely said that private land holders are much better than the Government at dealing with feral pigs, cats, dogs, and wild horses.

The Queensland Government purchasing this land has taken a major rate payer off the local council, stripping it of annual income, and has added further expenses for our taxpayers in maintenance costs.

Mr Katter also reported being approached by a ranger, prior to the devastating bushfires experienced throughout Southern Queensland in 2019/20, expressing concerns of the fire hazards that are posed when having so much uncontrolled growth in overgrown forest areas. “We have every right to expect that the risk of fire through the region will increase from this ideologically driven initiative”.

While the idea of preserving land or improving land condition makes people feel warm and fuzzy, the fact is, this is a political decision that will contribute to overall poor land management of the Queensland landscape. “This was about keeping the urban latte sippers comfortable about the Governments environmental credentials, much more than it is about maintaining or improving land condition.”

The Queensland Government has also made mention to the purchased land being in the Great Barrier Reef catchment, which has recently been allocated $1 billion by the Federal Government to be put towards protecting the reef, attempting to strengthen its climate credentials leading up to the federal election later this year. It may seem that these two “investments” go hand-in- hand, however with the latest AIMS report showing that there is record coral coverage throughout the Great Barrier Reef, such investments seem futile.