The importance of key agricultural land to supporting Queensland food and fibre industries has been recognised and enshrined in legislation for the long-term benefit of all Queenslanders.

The Strategic Cropping Land Act 2011 came into effect on 30 January 2012. This new legislation is geared towards achieving the balance between agriculture, mining and urban development.

Any resource activity on land identified as strategic cropping land (SCL) or as having the potential to be SCL will be assessed against the new legislation. Resource activity is defined in the following legislation:

• Mineral Resources Act 1989
• Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004
• Petroleum Act 1923
• Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2009
• Geothermal Energy Act 2010
• Geothermal Exploration Act 2004.

What does this mean for you?

Trigger maps are a starting point for identifying where strategic cropping land is expected to exist. However, it is the on-ground assessment against set criteria that will define strategic cropping land at a site level.

View trigger maps

Strategic cropping land requirements have been built into the existing environmental authority application processes to minimise disruption. View the fact sheet (PDF, 75 kB) for more information on how the legislation intersects with the various resource Acts.

We have also introduced an operational policy (PDF, 97 kB) to provide for SCL to be excluded from a resource permit area and to ensure that this process is applied consistently across the various resource Acts.

I have already submitted my application

The SCL Act applies to all applications received after Monday, 30 January 2012. It includes transitional arrangements for applications that are undecided as at the commencement date.

Read more about the government's strategic cropping land legislation or email sclenquiries@derm.qld.gov.au