Matt and Caitlin Wood, who run a regenerative agricultural operation on 120 hectares in Springbrook, Queensland, fear a new state bill will lower the bar for compulsory land acquisition, potentially paving the way for a cableway on their property. The bill, officially titled the State Development and Public Works Organisation (Critical Minerals) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026, is before a parliamentary inquiry due to report on Friday. Critics argue it grants the government unprecedented powers to bypass conservation and planning laws for projects deemed of strategic significance.
What the bill proposes
The bill aims to 'streamline' approvals for major projects, according to Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie, who introduced it on 2 June. It would allow the government to override existing legislation, including the Nature Conservation Act, for projects it deems strategically important. This includes lowering the threshold for compulsory acquisition of land, even for private commercial development. Bleijie told parliament that while critical minerals are the immediate focus, the amendments create pathways for 'any project of strategic significance to the state.'
Critics, including the Queensland Conservation Council, describe the powers as 'incredibly broad.' Acting director Anthony Gough says the bill includes a 'Henry VIII clause' that would give the development minister 'carte blanche to fast-track all sorts of developments, including in national parks and other sensitive areas.' He noted that such powers have historically been reserved for emergencies like natural disasters or wartime, not routine business.
Farmers' concerns
The Woods have been fighting a proposed cableway through World Heritage rainforest, first suggested in 1998 and rejected in 2000, but revived by the Gold Coast council. Although the council voted on Tuesday to stop funding studies, the Woods remain worried. 'It certainly feels like there are plans that are moving forward, regardless of what we say,' Matt said. Liza Balmain, a Darling Downs farmer, is among 275 regional Queenslanders who signed an open letter opposing the bill. She fears it could override the regional interests development approval (Rida) that currently blocks Arrow Energy's coal seam gas project on her farm. 'Arrow has been trying to get in here since 2010 and we've just been keeping them at bay,' she said. 'That would be their last hurdle.'
Legal and community backlash
The Queensland Law Society's president, Peter Jolly, wrote in a submission that the bill entails a 'systematic removal of third-party appeal and objection rights' and a 'functional denial of natural justice.' Agricultural bodies, Indigenous groups, and social justice advocates have also raised concerns. However, the Local Government Association of Queensland supports the bill's intent to improve infrastructure coordination. Mining groups and the Australian Energy Producers have backed it, saying it would help pave the way for new oil and gas supply.
Bleijie defended the bill, stating that 'relevant existing approvals and assessments, such as RIDAs, aren't affected by the bill.' But Balmain called that 'very open-ended,' providing 'no confidence whatsoever' that it couldn't be applied to bypass future requirements. Andrew Kwan, managing lawyer for the Environmental Defenders Office, said the lack of public consultation gives farmers like Wood and Balmain a 'wide and justified basis to be concerned.'
