Community members delivered an open letter to Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm and Member for Mackay Nigel Dalton today, calling for the LNP government to withdraw legislation that would give Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie sweeping powers to fast-track risky mining and infrastructure projects and override private property rights.

The State Development and Public Works Organisation (Critical Minerals) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026 would allow the Deputy Premier to seize private land, scrap environment assessments and waive community objection rights for any major mining, tourism or other development project they deem ‘strategic’ to Queensland. 

A Queensland parliamentary committee has recommended that the government pass the laws without changes, despite widespread community condemnation. There are fears the government will pass the laws when parliament resumes on 25 August. 

Nearly 90% of 90 public submissions to the parliamentary committee objected to the bill. It has been criticised by Property Rights Australia, AgForce Queensland, the Queensland Law Society, farmers and environmentalists.  

Member for Traeger Robbie Katter called the new laws “a fast track for the big end of town”, and federal LNP Member for Flynn Colin Boyce has criticised the laws as trampling over landholder rights, and open for misuse by the Minister for State Development.

Mass actions are being held to protest the laws across Queensland. The open letter is also being delivered to MPs in Toowoomba, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Cairns and Yeppoon. 

Tony Fontes, President, Whitsunday Conservation Council said:

“We’re deeply worried that this Bill could pave the way for the fast-tracking of projects that have the potential to cause irreversible harm to the beautiful Whitsundays and Great Barrier Reef. 

“The Deputy Premier has named the Whitsunday Skyway as a project that could be fast-tracked. Stripping away the proper checks and balances for this project is unnecessary, and completely reckless.

“This Bill would prioritise speed at the expense of transparency, community participation, environmental safeguards and First Nations rights.”

Imogen Lindenberg, Coordinator, Mackay Conservation Group: 

“Central Queenslanders need to have our say on mining and infrastructure projects that happen in our backyards. 

“With the Great Barrier Reef on our doorstep, and a local agricultural industry that relies on a healthy environment, there’s too much at stake to hand all the decision-making power to a politician based in south-east Queensland.”

“We call on Nigel Dalton and Amanda Camm to stand up for Mackay and the Whitsundays, and urge their colleagues in Parliament not to sacrifice our voice and interests to the decisions of one power-hungry politician.”

Maggie Mckeown, Queensland Coordinator, Lock the Gate Alliance said: 

“Farmers, communities and prime agricultural land are being thrown under the bus so that the Queensland government can seize private land for major development projects. 

“Agriculture bodies have criticised these laws. Legal experts have criticised these laws. Queensland Labor, the Katter Party, even Federal LNP MPs, have criticised these laws. Yet Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie and the LNP government continue pushing ahead, so they can override the rights of Queensland landholders and wave through mining and infrastructure projects.

“This is a disgraceful power play by Deputy Premier Bleijie.”

Wirdi woman Murrawah Johnson, Co-Director, Youth Verdict who grew up in Mackay  said:  

“If these draconian laws pass, it will wind back the clock for First Nations people’s rights in Queensland. These new laws will rob us of our power to protect land, water and places of spiritual significance.

“The Queensland Law Society has warned that this law could be used to remove the requirement for companies to sit down with Traditional Owners to discuss native title and cultural heritage before land is compulsorily acquired.

“The Queensland government failed to consult with First Nations communities when making these laws. It’s appalling that the parliamentary committee has decided that the impacts on our human rights are ‘proportional and sufficiently justified’. There is no justification for leaving us out of the negotiating table.”