THIS month, State Government ministers visited Charleville,?Longreach, and Ilfracombe to declare that consultation on the Stock Routes Network Discussion Paper had opened.
The State Government, directed by Resources Minister Scott Stewart has urged anyone involved with stock routes to have their say on proposed stock route changes.
AgForce Cattle Board Director, Peter Hall has been a part of the stock route consultation process for several years, he said the issue being raised was the lack of resources put into stock route management.
“The proposal [for this consultation] is for some fee increases both for travelling stock and for application fees, and that money would be directed back at the local governments to better manage the stock routes,” he said.
“A lot of stock routes are in need of more money being spent on water facilities and fencing and things like that.
“We need to improve the managing strategies involved, generally [this is] about trying to improve things overall.”
Mr Hall said it was about having those who utilise the stock routes taking a larger share and putting less pressure on local governments and ratepayers.
“It’s just about saying people need to pay more for the use of the stock routes that’s what we’re doing,” he said.
Minister Stewart said these changes were necessary to help maintain and upgrade the network.
“Councils collect fees from network users, but currently this only represents about 4 per cent of the total funds they need to cover the costs,” he said.
Local Government Association of Queensland President Mark Jamieson praised the outcome.
“It’s about making sure users of the network are paying a fair and reasonable price for the benefits that they gain, ensuring that every cent that is generated from users’ fees is reinvested in managing the network, reducing councils’ administrative costs,” he said.
“This round of consultation builds on the vital feedback users, industry, and key stakeholders provided over the past two years and proposes changes that aim to make it quicker and easier for councils to manage their stock routes.
“Consultation and collaboration have been a key part of the Queensland Stock Route Network Management Strategy and this is a continuation of that process.”
