suitable loading concentrations may be appropriate. In the meantime, do we need to
consider precautionary measures until the science is available?
There are several guiding principles of environmental policy set out in the
Intergovernmental Agreement on the Environment, including the ‘precautionary
principle’, ‘intergenerational equity’ and the ‘conservation of biological diversity
and ecological integrity’. This agreement was designed to provide a mechanism to
align the decision making between states and Australian Government and to facilitate better environmental protection. Within this agreement, Section 3.5.1 states the
precautionary principle as:
Where there are threats of serious or irreversible environmental damage, lack of full
scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing measures to prevent
environmental degradation. In the application of the precautionary principle, public and
private decisions should be guided by ‘careful evaluation to avoid, wherever practicable,
serious or irreversible damage to the environment; and an assessment of the risk-weighted
consequences of various options.
Actions to mitigate plastics (including nano and micro) and other contaminant
emissions to land will also benefit the broader environment and communities. Rural
communities across Queensland are naturally resilient. Many of the landholders and
rural communities have substantial experience of extreme weather events, climate
variations and utilisation of their on-farm resources, but these challenges are escalating, and more innovative and coordinated adaptation is required than ever before.
This includes the provision of data and science so that farmers and other landowners
can make informed decisions relating to the destination of their products and
by-products, as well as sustainable land management practices.
References
ABS. (2012a). Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian farming and farmers. 4102.0 –
Australian social trends. December 2012.
ABS. (2012b). Australian Bureau of Statistics. 1301.0 – year book Australia, 2012.
ABS. (2014). Australian Bureau of Statistics. 71210DO003_201213 agricultural commodities,
Australia, 2012–13. See Table 4: Agricultural Commodities, State and NRM Region–
Queensland–2012–13.
ABS. (2015). Australian Bureau of Statistics. 71210DO004_201314 agricultural commodities,
Australia, 2013–14. See Table 4: Agricultural Commodities, State and SA4 Region–
Queensland–2013–14.
ABS. (2016). Australian Bureau of Statistics. 71210DO003_201415 agricultural commodities,
Australia- 2014–15. See Table 4: Agricultural commodities, state and SA4 region–Queensland–
2014-15.
ABS. (2017a). Australian Bureau of Statistics. Catalogue no. 7503.0. Value of agricultural
commodities produced, Australia.
ABS. (2017b). Australian Bureau of Statistics. Catalogue no. 71210DO001_201516 agricultural
commodities, Australia- 2015–16. See Table 4: Agricultural Commodities–Queensland–
2015-16.
8 Sustaining Queensland’s Agricultural Sector: Challenges and. . .
141
consider precautionary measures until the science is available?
There are several guiding principles of environmental policy set out in the
Intergovernmental Agreement on the Environment, including the ‘precautionary
principle’, ‘intergenerational equity’ and the ‘conservation of biological diversity
and ecological integrity’. This agreement was designed to provide a mechanism to
align the decision making between states and Australian Government and to facilitate better environmental protection. Within this agreement, Section 3.5.1 states the
precautionary principle as:
Where there are threats of serious or irreversible environmental damage, lack of full
scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing measures to prevent
environmental degradation. In the application of the precautionary principle, public and
private decisions should be guided by ‘careful evaluation to avoid, wherever practicable,
serious or irreversible damage to the environment; and an assessment of the risk-weighted
consequences of various options.
Actions to mitigate plastics (including nano and micro) and other contaminant
emissions to land will also benefit the broader environment and communities. Rural
communities across Queensland are naturally resilient. Many of the landholders and
rural communities have substantial experience of extreme weather events, climate
variations and utilisation of their on-farm resources, but these challenges are escalating, and more innovative and coordinated adaptation is required than ever before.
This includes the provision of data and science so that farmers and other landowners
can make informed decisions relating to the destination of their products and
by-products, as well as sustainable land management practices.
References
ABS. (2012a). Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian farming and farmers. 4102.0 –
Australian social trends. December 2012.
ABS. (2012b). Australian Bureau of Statistics. 1301.0 – year book Australia, 2012.
ABS. (2014). Australian Bureau of Statistics. 71210DO003_201213 agricultural commodities,
Australia, 2012–13. See Table 4: Agricultural Commodities, State and NRM Region–
Queensland–2012–13.
ABS. (2015). Australian Bureau of Statistics. 71210DO004_201314 agricultural commodities,
Australia, 2013–14. See Table 4: Agricultural Commodities, State and SA4 Region–
Queensland–2013–14.
ABS. (2016). Australian Bureau of Statistics. 71210DO003_201415 agricultural commodities,
Australia- 2014–15. See Table 4: Agricultural commodities, state and SA4 region–Queensland–
2014-15.
ABS. (2017a). Australian Bureau of Statistics. Catalogue no. 7503.0. Value of agricultural
commodities produced, Australia.
ABS. (2017b). Australian Bureau of Statistics. Catalogue no. 71210DO001_201516 agricultural
commodities, Australia- 2015–16. See Table 4: Agricultural Commodities–Queensland–
2015-16.
8 Sustaining Queensland’s Agricultural Sector: Challenges and. . .
141