Queensland changes land clearing laws

Controversial changes to Queensland's land clearing laws have passed state parliament.

The Newman government passed the changes on Tuesday evening which allow farmers to graze starving cattle in five national parks and eight reserves until the end of 2013, and if needed, beyond.

Farmers will also be able to clear their land without permits for routine management, such as building fences.

Remnant forest can also be cleared if farmers can prove it's for a high-value agriculture area.

Natural Resources Minister Andrew Cripps says the reforms will give landholders more control over their land and allow them to sustainably grow their farm businesses.

'Landholders can get on with the job of providing food and fibre for Queenslanders and international markets,' he said in a statement.

Conservationists and a group of 25 leading Queensland scientists warned against the changes, saying it would lead to more extinctions and be devastating for biodiversity.

WWF Australia CEO Dermot O'Gorman says the changes amount to 'one of the largest environmental rollbacks in Australian history' and Premier Campbell Newman has broken an election promise.

'By not intervening, the premier has acted against advice from Queensland's leading scientists,' Mr O'Gorman said in a statement.

'These amendments have stripped away protections for two million hectares of mature and recovering bushland.'

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Queensland changes land clearing laws