The Queensland Government’s Agriculture, Energy and Water Council (AEW Council), established earlier this year, met for its second session on 6 November, with Cotton Australia represented by Chair Liz Stott and General Manager Michael Murray.

The meeting brought together peak agricultural organisations, including Cotton Australia, and the Ministers responsible for Agriculture (Tony Perrett), Energy (Treasurer David Janetzki), and Water (Anne Leahy).

Key issues raised by Cotton Australia included the need to reform Land Tax to remove obligations on foreign-owned primary production land, the urgent requirement for ongoing electricity tariff reform, and industry support for a safe and practical alternative to formal forklift licensing for rural operators who use forklifts incidentally in their work.

The meeting also provided an opportunity for the government to introduce new members of the SunWater and SEQ Water Boards and to present progress on identifying and facilitating the remediation of land economically impacted by CSG-induced subsidence.