The Strategic Cropping Land Bill 2011 was introduced into Parliament on Tuesday and the government intends to have the legislation considered before the end of the year.

Queensland Resources Council chief executive Michael Roche said there was little question that the introduction of yet another exclusion zone for resource sector operations would mean that a number of resource projects would be blocked, with negative economic consequences for Queensland.

“However, we do acknowledge that the government has recognised the prior investment of tens of millions of dollars in advanced projects and is also providing avenues for these projects to work within the legislative framework.’

Roche noted that the 4% of Queensland proposed to be covered by strategic cropping land “trigger maps” compared favourably with the 0.09% of the state’s land physically disturbed by resource sector operations.

“Queensland deserves strong resources and agriculture sectors, and there is room for both,” he said.

Roche said the inclusion of soil criteria in the Bill – rather than in subsequent regulations – meant the spotlight would move to the Parliament’s Environment, Agriculture Resources and Energy Committee, to which the Bill has been referred.

“It is a surprise to discover soil criteria laid out as black letter law in the legislation introduced … effectively sidelining the minister's own committee of four eminent soil scientists appointed to advise on implementation of the legislation,” he said.

“This legislation needs to be underpinned by the best available science and while the jury is still out on some of the proposed soil criteria used to identify the best cropping land in Queensland, no one can come away from this process completely satisfied.

“The last thing anyone wants to see is a lawyer’s picnic created around soil criteria open to challenge through the courts.”