Invite error mires Rangelands meeting

Due to the error only about 30 pastoralists attended the Rangelands: Sustainable Economic Development in WA conference on March 1, at which more than 200 people gathered.

Some northern and southern Rangelands pastoralists were disappointed that they had been unable to attend.

Passionate northern pastoralist Robin Mills, Warrawagine station, raised the issue during his speech and asked those representing the pastoral industry to stand up.

"An awful lot of pastoralists have contacted me who wanted to be here today," he said.

"I am disappointed."

Pastoralist Ash Dowden, Challa station, couldn't attend the conference as he did not receive an invitation until 48 hours before the close off time.

He said the department had gone into recovery mode.

"We have received a lot of communication since," he said.

"We were very disappointed we could not attend.

"I have jumped up and down about it, and it looks like there will be a forum for consultation in Mt Magnet.

"Otherwise the other forums are all in the North or along the coast, so I am happy we will have representation.''

Mr Dowden hoped Lands Minister Terry Redman would attend the Mt Magnet forum he had attended the Perth meeting to discuss the government's reform of Rangeland leases.

"I have a number of concerns about the changes, they don't just apply to me, they apply to all pastoralists,'' Mr Dowden said.

"It seems as though the Rangelands reform will only help the corporates and are not tailored to pastoralists who want to diversify.

"Native title is a big aspect of that, and I believe small family businesses will find it impossible."

The department issued a statement that in addition to consultation in the regions, it would host a second conference for those who were unable to attend the Perth conference due to overwhelming demand and an administrative error which failed to send a significant number of invites.

Lands Department director general Colin Slattery said it was considering hosting a follow-up conference to ensure pastoralists and other Rangelands stakeholders were given the opportunity to hear industry leaders discuss the region's future.

"An administrative error meant a significant number of pastoralists either did not receive invitations or were not able to access online based promotions for the Perth CBD event," Mr Slattery said.

"In addition, we exceeded our capacity for the event and now see there may be good reason to host an additional event in regional WA soon.

"The Department of Lands will release details on this second event as soon as they are known."

For many pastoralists, the administration error added further doubt about the State Government's Rangelands reform proposal.

Mr Redman, also the Minister for Regional Development and Minister Assisting the Minister for State Development, spoke in Perth about the reform.

He said he recognised that the decision to scratch the Pastoral Lands Board (PLB) was a significant concern for many in the industry.

"It is my intention not to have the PBL but to have a Rangelands advisory board made up of all the stakeholders," he said.

"We need to have a advisory board, that is strategic in nature, not getting into the day-to-day dealing with someone on a pastoral lease, but advising the minister on the matters and finding the balance.

"That is a concern to industry, they feel it is taking away what they see as the buffer between the minister and the sector."

Mr Mills acknowledged that in the past the PBL had "no teeth" and needed changes, and that pastoralists needed to be represented on the new advisory board.

Without that representation, the advisory board would revert to being a bunch of "shiny-tailed bureaucrats".

Farm Weekly understand the Pastoralists and Graziers Association (PGA) has had lengthy discussion with Mr Redman about reform issues.

PGA president Tony Seabrook said the lobby group would support pastoralists 100 per cent, as well as the PLB's retention.

Mr Redman addressed some concerns and said he had made some key changes and has two letters of appeal.

He said if the lands minister was about to make an adverse decision in relation to stock rates, pastoralists have the right to trigger the minister to formally seek advice from an industry representative or expert.

He also said if the minister decided not to renew a pastoral lease, then there would be a right to appeal to the State Administrative Tribunal.

"What I am painting out with those key changes is what industry has pretty much endorsed," Mr Redman said.

"Yes there are other groups that come into that, the traditional owner groups, and even some of the conservation groups have been positive about this pathway.

"I am not expecting there is anything new here, because there has been a lot of discussion in the past, but as we get legislation in place and legislation for people to look at, you need to have a level of consultation, to square off the fine points.

"Once the Bill is out that will be opened up for discussion and I am hoping to get that into the spring session (of parliament).

"But time is short, we don't have copious amount of time to achieve that. But we need to make sure we do due justice for those involved."

Part owner of Yougawalla station Harold Mitchell said he is hearing that the "time had come" for change.

"There is no doubt that the greatest opportunity ahead for WA is the explosion of the middle-class of Asia," Mr Mitchell said.

"The great lands of Australia can provide food, so we need to have a certainty of the land and the opportunity to diversify what we do to it, so we can value-add to the cattle.

"What is being proposed is changing the face of what could be all of WA, because of that explosion of the market of Asia."

Mr Mitchell said there was uncertainty about change.

"There is uncertainty on how the Aboriginal rights would be handled, but overall it's a good thing," Mr Mitchell said.

"I think everyone is wanting it and expecting it to happen."

Changes to rewrite the Lands Administration Act, to create a new form of tenure known as a Rangelands lease, have left some pastoralists up-in-the-air on the proposal.

Mr Redman defended the move, which is aimed at opening up the Rangelands, as a different level of tenure.

"In order move from a pastoral lease to a Rangelands lease, it triggers a Futures Act, which means an Indigenous Land Use Agreement would need to be settled in order to achieve that," Mr Redman said.

"And that is up to the pastoralists and indigenous title holders to work out what the settlement arrangement might be."

Mr Redman said a lot of work had been done by the Lands Department to set up frameworks to assist in moving through the processes.

"We need to make legislation easier, it has been really clunky up until now and it is still not perfect," Mr Redman said.

"There is a lot of work to do and we all need to get on board to make that an easier process."

Mr Redman said there Rangelands leases could cost more, but didn't express how much increase would be.

"The valuer-general values the lease, if something is moving from pastoralism to a range of other activities which will have some economic value, the rents will adjust accordingly," he said.

"But this is about driving value into the sector, if they take on that value that is one of the costs."

Haydn Sale, Yougawalla, attended the event and said the industry urgently needed the reforms the department was addressing.

"We don't know the refined detail yet about the Rangelands lease," Mr Sale said.

"There might be some issue there.

"But anyone who wants development into irrigation or intensive agriculture they probably will look to do it."

Mr Sale see some issues with the plans to scrap the PLB.

"You have to be careful not having a right of response from the pastoral industry," he said.

"If the minister is talking about having a board that we are represented on as well, and which has protection against adverse decisions, then I don't see a problem with it.

"From my point of view, I see the reforms as fantastic, we don't want to block them over something that I think we can work around.

"I think as long as we are represented - that's fine."

Mr Sale said change is "incredibly important for the next step for the pastoral industry."

"At the moment we have a lease that's not all that secure," Mr Sale said.

"It is hard to attract investment, which is needed for the next stage which is going to be the development of more intensive enterprises.

"You have to have a good tenure, and hopefully that is being addressed, and you have to have a better system of being able to add diversification to your business."

Former Fossil Downs owner John Henwood questioned the government's move and its plans to encourage pastoralists to focus on investing in irrigation.

"It seems like you are putting the cart before the horse, instead of the horse in front of the cart," he said.

Mr Redman hopes the Bill will go out for consultation for a short period before it goes into Parliament this year.

"We have quite inhibiting processes as the current legislation applies in WA, this is about unlocking that potential," Mr Redman said.

"We are a can-do government and we are about pathways to get better outcomes.

"I don't think we will get a lot of challenges, we are not getting any signals, but there hasn't been much exposure to opposition and other parties, but no doubt there will be some commentary about that.

"The parliamentary process will bring that out."

p For more information on the regional consultation forums see www.lands.wa.gov.au/

Crown-Land/

Rangelands-Reform/Pages/

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Regional conference details will be promoted on the department webpage.