The property rights lawyer who acted for Biggenden landholders Sharon and Rob Lohse when the state government attempted to turn their pastoral lease into a national park is appalled at the latest twist.
David Kempton, a former Member for Cook under the LNP Government, said the revelation through freedom of information documents demonstrated “a generational campaign” by Labor to steal farmland for national parks without any scientific or environmental basis.
“They are just doing it because they can,” Mr Kempton said.
“These are Australian farmers and it’s appalling that we can treat them this way and strip them of their rights without any compensation.
“That’s contrary to our entire system, our whole legal, moral and ethical system in Australia.”
Mr Kempton said he acted on behalf of several landowners also affected at Emerald and Rockhampton.
“There was probably about 70 affected at the time,” Mr Kempton said.
“A lot of them took up stock grazing permits and gave up their rights.
“We we were never able to get a list out of the government about who the affected people were. There would be 12 to 20 substantial farms wrongly converted into national parks without proper assessment.
“The government thought they could beat Sharon by attrition but we were never going to give up.”
Mr Kempton called on the Palaszczuk Government to undertake the assessments and restore people’s leases and rights.
“(Steve) Miles is trying to blame our government but this has been a consistent plan of Beattie, Bligh and now him to take over pastoral leases and convert them into national parks.”