Farmer advocacy groups and federal and state politicians have joined the chorus of dissent unhappy with the Commonwealth Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025 recently passed in Federal Parliament after the Federal Labor Government accepted wide-reaching amendments from The Greens.

The National Farmers’ Federation, AgForce Queensland, The Nationals leader and Maranoa MP David Littleproud, Primary Industries Minister Tony Perrett and Condamine MP Pat Weir are among those who have voiced their concern.

The amendments place onerous conditions on landholders managing regrowth on their properties, including removing the ‘continuing use’ exemption for vegetation more than 15 years’ old which means landholders with Category X vegetation areas on their property will be required to apply for assessment and approval under the EPBC Act.

AgForce General President Shane McCarthy, appearing with Mr Perrett and Mr Weir at Wyreema last week, said the implementation phase will determine how the reforms function in reality.

“What happens in the implementation phase will decide whether these laws support environmental outcomes or unintentionally restrict the routine land management that keeps Queensland landscapes healthy, productive and safe,” Mr McCarthy said.

He said Queensland’s extraordinary diversity must be central to the bilaterals.

“Queensland is not one landscape – it’s dozens of bioregions with completely different soils, ecosystems and regrowth behaviour,” he said.

“What works in southern Queensland doesn’t work in the north. What works in Victoria doesn’t work here at all.

“National rules must recognise regional science if they are to work on the ground.”

Mr McCarthy said the 15-year rule and narrowing of continuing use must be interpreted through how Queensland country actually behaves.

“Regrowth here doesn’t follow fixed timelines – it responds to rainfall, seasons and landscape type,” he said.

“In many bioregions vegetation can return extremely quickly, and producers must be able to manage that safely and responsibly.

“We are already some of the most regulated farmers in the world,” he said.

“To clear even one tree requires a huge process.”

Minister for Primary Industries Tony Perrett said these changes mean family farms that have been operating for generations will be forced to go through the same bureaucratic processes as mining companies.

“The Labor-Greens deal is an insult to Queensland’s farmers and forestry workers which overrides local knowledge, ignores decades of land stewardship and creates new federal powers to interfere in property rights,” Mr Perrett said.

“This deal completely ignores the realities of farming and imposes more red tape for people who are already doing the right thing.

“This Labor-Greens legislation puts more uncertainty over land use, forestry operations, and vegetation management, without any real consultation.

This article appeared in On Our Selection News, 11 December 2025.