| Rat’s tail grass as bad as American Gulf oil spill – Opposition and Government fail to act: Messenge | Email this page | | Back | Member for Burnett Rob Messenger has received warnings from Burnett farmers that Giant rat’s tail grass is causing, and will continue to cause, more damage to the environment than the American Gulf Oil spill.
Mr Messenger said action needs to be taken now by both sides of Parliament to address the rat’s tail grass problem, which has become an environmental, social and environmental crisis.
“Labor’s answer to my Question on Notice (See attached document) shows that it doesn’t care and has no plan to fix this environmental, financial and social disaster,” Mr Messenger said.
“The LNP’s disinterested and apathetic response to my notice of motion (see attached document) suggesting a solution to the massive problem, shows that they are not listening to rural and regional people anymore,” he said.
Mr Messenger said the government and LNP working jointly together on a bipartisan basis must:
- Classify Giant Rat’s Tail Grass as endemic, withdraw and cancel all fines against landowners who can no longer comply with government regulation to control this noxious weed.
- Commission an emergency task force in order to find a biological solution for this plant which is threatening the viability and profitability of the Queensland grazing industry.
“It is not good enough for a Primary Industry Minister to fail to give a guarantee that past Queensland governments didn’t import and release Giant rats tail grass after being asked:
‘(1) Will the Minister give a guarantee that the seed for this weed was not imported or released by any Queensland Government?’
“This lack of government guarantee of course opens the door to the Queensland government being liable for the massive damage caused by the noxious weed and also responsible for the huge cost (now paid by farmers) of trying to control the weed with chemicals,” he said.
“This cost each year runs into the tens, if not hundreds, of millions of dollars, which is spent on long-lasting poisons and are sprayed onto coastal land adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef. This fact alone should shame the government into finding a biological solution!
“The Minister’s official reply to the second part of my question shows that he doesn’t even know what is happening in his own department, or isn’t concerned at all about the dangerous noxious weed which is growing unchecked on large areas of state controlled land.
“It’s a typical nonsensical, bureaucratic ‘Yes Minister’ reply to a straightforward question showing care factor – zero.
Question – “(2) Will the Minister detail for the last five years (reported separately) the amount of State Government funds spent on the chemical control of giant rat’s tail grass for State Government owned land?”
Edited Government Answer:
“…Weed management activity on these lands is not typically costed out against individual weed species over the years requested.”
“It’s now time for the LNP and ALP to get together and agree to a solution to this dangerous, introduced, noxious foreign weed,” Mr Messenger said.
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