farmboy the dates are critical if the argument isthat land was locked up for Kyoto. In Qld millions were paid to landholders to not clear land for agriculture. Where are these fertile lands that have been locked up? What are the court actions that have locked up the land - most fertile land was cleared up until the late 80s. Compensation for not clearing anymore. There are provisions for clearing invasive native species, regrwoth, woody weeds and for agriculutural land. There is a due process to go through to apply for clearing rights that balances the naturual ecosystems functiona nd the right to farm. Clearing is still permitted ona small scale in most rural areas for a wide variety of reasons, some need a planning permit and others dont.
According to the NSW State of the Environment Report in 2004 nearly 40,000 hectares was cleared in NSW alone that year.
Mining takes a huge slice of ag land, look at the issue in the liverpool plains.
Why do you need compensation for not clearing land? have you buggered the celaring land so much through unsuustaianable practicves that you need to clear more and bugger that up. The old timers went straight for eh good land, no way they were going to manually clear land that was not productive. It has bene the increasing use of fertiliser and irrigaiton and larger machinery that ahs led to further clearing as farmers have been able to increase productivity of margiunal land through artifical inputs. And before you attack me I am a 6th generation farmer, forester and agricultural proffesional who has worked on properties the length and breadth of the nation. I have seen the good, the bad and the outright stupid.
