Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have to admit that green is not a colour I often wear, but today is different. You'll notice that many of my National Party and LNP colleagues are also wearing green today, and it's all for a serious cause. Central Queensland's beef industry was saddened recently by the passing of Maurice Binstead. Maurie, as he was mostly known, lived a long, pioneering life of service. He was a devoted family man, who, after serving his country in Papua New Guinea in the Second World War, directed his energy to building his life in the beef industry.

Maurice was never one to take the status quo for granted and was a driving force behind the formation of the Cattlemen's Union during the beef depression of the 1970s. Maurie and a group of graziers decided that they'd had enough and wouldn't tolerate the structural issues within the beef industry any longer. This group was often seen as radical within the conservative grazing sector. However, many of the changes they adopted are now seen as the foundation of the economic viability of agriculture in Australia.

Maurice's life was also devoted to his own grazing operations, which, through shrewd management and land development, grew to be significant. Maurice was a pioneer of land development in Central Queensland, increasing productivity hugely. Maurice Binstead developed his land by clearing areas of thick brigalow country on his properties, allowing the land to grow more grass, feed more cattle and grow more beef. The success Maurie and his colleagues had in developing his land led to the state government delivering the brigalow scheme, a series of divisions of leasehold land delivered by a ballot to graziers, with the express requirement that they develop their new parcel of land.

This development delivered untold wealth to Central Queensland's beef sector and led to Rockhampton becoming the undisputed beef capital of Australia. But now, unfortunately, the prosperity of CQ and the memory of what Mr Binstead and his contemporaries achieved is being destroyed by a green Labor government that is anti farmer, anti development and anti jobs. So the green we wear today is in recognition of our primary producers who deliver so much to our local economies, keeping our rural towns alive and keeping food on our tables and clothes on our backs.

By ramming through legislation that will stop our farmers and graziers from not only developing new country but also protecting their country from woody weeds and regrowth, Labor has sold out Central Queensland once again. I stand today with our farmers and graziers and call on all Australians to remember, regardless of where you are, to thank a farmer for your next meal. The memory of Maurice Binstead will be held dear to farmers and graziers across the country for many years to come. He was a man who helped change the way the beef industry operated, delivering more power to our hardworking graziers and opening up so much of the economic potential of Central Queensland. May he rest in peace.

Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In accordance with standing order 193, the time for members' constituency statements has concluded.