PASTORALIST advocacy groups have warned that the government appears unwilling to shift on key parts of its Rangelands reform Bill, which would remove the Pastoral Lands Board and could mean inadequate protection for land tenure.
The Department of Lands will hold stakeholder forums across WA beginning on Wednesday, but the Pastoralists and Graziers Association (PGA) believes the government is unwilling to negotiate on the key sticking points in its draft land administration act.
The Unlocking the Potential of the Rangelands stakeholder forums aims to provide feedback on the draft Bill during the April public consultation period.
"Consultation is where you listen to the people that are going to be affected, take note of their concerns and are prepared to make changes to reflect those concerns," PGA president Tony Seabrook said.
"The Department of Lands has strongly indicated to the PGA that they are not prepared to offer up any more changes.
"And yet they would like our members to travel large distances to a series of meetings to offer up consultation - are they really prepared listen or are they just going to tell us again what we are going to get?"
Lands Minister Terry Redman said all feedback would be considered and he encouraged parties interested in Rangelands development to attend one of the forums and provide feedback on the bill during the consultation period.
"Stakeholders, including pastoralists, have an important role to play as the Land Administration Amendment Bill 2016 agenda makes its way to the parliament,'' Mr Redman said.
"Already officers from the Department of Lands and I have met with a number of stakeholder groups to talk about the opportunities Rangelands development will bring to WA, including the Pastoralists and Grazers Association, Kimberley and Pilbara Cattlemen's Association, Aboriginal Lands Trust, WA Regional Development Trust, Association of Mining and Exploration Companies and Chamber of Minerals and Energy.
"The public forums across regional WA will give all stakeholders another opportunity to engage directly with government and provide feedback on different elements of the Bill.''
The PGA will have representatives attending each of the eight forums across WA.
"We have an enormously strong concern that this so-called consultation won't be the type of consultation where anyone can influence the outcome," Mr Seabrook said.
The PGA said it was disappointed it had received no communication from Mr Redman in weeks, even after speaking out on the issues.
"I would like to think we could open a useful dialogue," Mr Seabrook said.
"At this point we have been head-to-head with the department and the minister for well over six months attempting to achieve a balanced resolution.
"But we consider the new concessions the minister has put on the table to be totally and wholly inadequate."
Mr Seabrook said the PGA did not have concerns about the new Rangelands lease, but had serious apprehensions about the move to scrap the Pastoral Lands Board (PLB).
"As far as the Rangelands lease is concerned, there is no problem, it opens up options and if someone would like to convert to this lease that is their right," Mr Seabrook said.
"We are in no way opposed to that concept, but people need to go into it with an open mind, there are possible negatives such as the requirement to renegotiate the indigenous land use agreement.
"The abolition of the PLB, however, is a severe threat to security of tenure and it also takes away an enormous amount of experience and knowledge about the industry that is currently available to the minister - that is the biggest concern we have.
"The loss of the PLB puts the pastoral industry at risk.
"At the end of the day the future prosperity of any given pastoral property will rest in the hands of the Lands Department in Perth."
Mr Seabrook said the biggest ongoing issue for pastoralists was security of tenure, "that is all we have asked for and this Bill puts it at risk".
He said the PGA sent the department's 44 points proposal to its lawyers in late February.
Mr Seabrook said the response from PGA lawyers outlined there would be negative and detrimental effects on pastoralists but would have some small positive benefits for the industry.
"We have sent the legal opinion to the minister and had no response," he said.
"All our members have received both the Department of Lands' proposal and the point-by-point assessment from our lawyer in order to make them aware of the gravity of some aspects of the legislation that is being drawn up."
"Some pastoralists are well up-to speed on the issue, but I suspect many are unaware of the implications."