A CanDo LNP government will protect Queensland’s outstanding natural heritage for all Queenslanders to enjoy.

LNP Leader Campbell Newman said an LNP Government would invest up to $107 million in a range of initiatives to provide real protection for Queensland’s natural heritage.

“The LNP will ensure we invest the proceeds of good economic management to achieve real environmental outcomes. Not just politics for green party preferences,” Mr Newman said.

“The LNP will make National Park management a priority, concentrating on maintaining biodiversity and weed and pest management – we’ll deliver improved conservation and improved access for tourists and all Queenslanders.

“An LNP Government will invest $1.5 million to fund four Friends of Parks coordinators and a QPWS Conservation Volunteer Coordinator to coordinate volunteer and eco-holiday partnerships to help protect and enhance our National Parks.

“We will invest $26.5 million over four years in koala protection through disease prevention and vaccination, habitat protection, community education, and the recovery and rehabilitation of sick or injured animals.”

Mr Newman said the LNP safeguard the iconic areas on Cape York with a Cape York Bioregion Management Plan developed in conjunction with Indigenous communities, graziers, Cape York organisations and other stakeholders.

“In recognition of the importance of Indigenous participation in the management of country – both land and sea – the LNP will employ 40 additional Indigenous Rangers in its first term.

“These Rangers will focus on the protection of our pristine waterways, protected species such as turtles and dugongs on the Great Barrier Reef and National Park management.

“The LNP recognises traditional owners are entitled to hunt dugongs and sea turtles for non-commercial use under the Native Title Act 1993, but the LNP will remove current exemptions in Queensland State law, making it illegal for anyone to wound, mutilate or torture an animal.

“We will expand the successful permit and licencing system developed in the Northern Peninsula Area of Cape York into all key habitats, with the guidance of traditional owners and indigenous organisations.

“An LNP Government will provide up to $1.5 million for improved crocodile management with a focus on public safety, $10 million for better management of our fisheries including a $9 million for a voluntary buyback program in consultation with the industry, and we’ll invest up to $1 million in a range of sustainability measures including monitoring of fisheries on a regional basis.

“The LNP is committed to the long-term survival of a healthy wild population of dingoes on Fraser Island, and will commission an immediate independent scientific peer review of the Fraser Island Dingo Management strategy.

“We will invest $12 million in Everyone’s Environment grants for practical local actions that deliver real environmental improvements, by working with local community and environment groups as well as larger organisations, to enhance the sustainability and liveability of our great State.

“An LNP Government will also continue existing funding for Natural Resource management Groups.

“An LNP Government will invest $37.7 million for protected area estate acquisitions (including North Stradbroke Island) and the Nature Assist program for nature refuges.

The LNP supports the World Heritage listing of suitable areas of Cape York in consultation with the traditional owners and other stakeholders, and will contribute $600,000 to the assessment process.

“An LNP Government will also continue existing funding for the Healthy Waterways program.

“Our $107 million in environmental commitments for its first term are in addition to current Queensland Government budget allocations or replace those initiatives currently funded through the Industry Waste Levy for which new funding sources had to be identified.”

Find out more about our Environment policy: Investing in our Environment for the Future