During Estimates hearings on Thursday 25 July 2024, I asked the Director General of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries about the impact of incoming EU deforestation regulations on Queensland's agricultural industry.
You can read my question and his full response below, or in the official Parliamentary record of proceedings (Hansard) here.
Mr BERKMAN: I will refer that to the DG. I asked a question on notice in March of this year, question on notice 275, around the EU’s incoming deforestation regulations and impacts on Queensland’s agriculture industry. The minister advised that preliminary desktop work had been undertaken to gather necessary background on this new regulation. The question is: what did that work comprise, and does it include analysis or modelling of Queensland’s expected compliance or noncompliance as a result of land clearing on agriculture land?
Mr Bolton: I thank the member for the question. The Queensland government continues to support industry by looking at the technical work and supplying data and evidence explaining our environmental policies and regulatory framework. With regard to the EU and proposed policy coming out of there, we will continue to engage with the Australian government, as the lead agency in those negotiations, in particular the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, while we drive those trade negotiations with the European Union. We always work with other agencies across government, including the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, including the SLATS report in terms of the Statewide Landcover and Trees Study.
Mr BERKMAN: Have you received any further information regarding the EU’s risk rating process under the EUDR and guidelines for how agricultural use is defined?
Mr Bolton: Not at this stage. We are having active conversations at the Agriculture Senior Officials Committee level. That is all the heads of ag departments. We are looking at what that might mean for us collectively. We are not alone in terms of the Queensland jurisdiction. We are actively aware of that, and we are having conversations and working with the Commonwealth about how we might respond to those.
Mr BERKMAN: Does the government intend to take any specific steps to ensure Queensland industry complies with the EUDR?
Mr Bolton: We need to wait until we find out where the policy lands and what those implications are and then we will make some informed decisions, including working with the Commonwealth on how we might comply with any requirements. The key focus for us is to make sure we keep our industry moving forward and that we are meeting international and social obligations to our communities.