Fed: Farmers and ACF say more should be done on land clearing

AAP General News (Australia)
08-21-2001
Fed: Farmers and ACF say more should be done on land clearing

CANBERRA, Aug 21 AAP - The federal government announcement of income tax deductions
for landholders who donate property for conservation purposes was not enough, farmers
and conservationists said today.

Prime Minister John Howard announced the decision yesterday, saying it would encourage
landholders and environmental philanthropic organisations to conserve land in perpetuity
to maintain its environmental value.

But Agforce and the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) agreed with Labor and
the Greens that more was needed.

"These sorts of conservation agreements might work well in particular areas where we've
got very important parts of the landscape that have been identified as the most important
pieces of biodiversity or pieces of habitat that we need to protect," Agforce spokesman
Gus McGowm told ABC radio.

"They may be identified as part of the regulatory framework that exists in most states.

"But I think that we need to go a great deal further if we're going to engage farmers
in protecting the environment on a day to day basis."

Farmers were prepared to cooperate if they were dealt with in a fair way, he said.

"And I believe, knowing farmers as I do, that there's a great opportunity there that
could be lost if we don't provide the flexible mechanisms out there to bring them on board."

ACF executive director Don Henry said the federal government must take over control
of land clearing issues from the states.

"At the moment the federal government leaves this matter to the states and we know
that's failing," Mr Henry told ABC radio.

"For instance, in Queensland we have something of the order of 400,000 hectares of
bush being bulldozed each year still.

"And what's quite clear is that we need a national approach on this and the federal
government has the capability to have national laws to control land clearing."

The Australian Democrats said it had proposed the measure two years ago and it was
an important step on a long road.

AAP lm/daw/ldj/de

KEYWORD: LAND DAYLEAD

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