Today's Headline,
"Northern Gold Coast cane fields on market to build vast new city and set land sale record" [news.com.au 01Sept16]

How can 'they', the Qld Labor Government (but any government), be so damned stupid, hypocritical and greedy? Have they spent so much that they desperately need a windfall?

In the Eastern corridor between Brisbane and the Gold Coast there are hectares of prime agricultural land suitable for small crops, exotic fruits or niche Asian foods, (say) bamboo shoots. Much is low-lying land and in parts subject to freshwater floods as ancient creeks and water courses cope with the annual rains.

Sugarcane has been grown there for years but is now being phased out. That is great for the environment and a heaven-sent opportunity to establish new crops you might say.

But none of that is to be. This land like so much of the surrounding former farms previously used for citrus, custard apples and veggies (sadly missed!), is scheduled to become housing estates and canals. A Chinese developer is in the wings.

I don't blame the farmers, although the cane farmers have enjoyed a ride on the taxpayer's back for decades and compromised the community's health in the process (eg., canned fruits with massive sugar added received a subsidy). This is State Labor and local government selling out to get easy money from developers and from land rates and in the process destroying the food growing future of the region.

This is the reckless, greedy, shortsighted exploitation that was so sternly criticised in years past and promises made that it would never happen again. But it is still going on.

This is where all Australia should stand up and say, "NO, enough and bugger off!".

Maybe you and all your mates who don't want the cane farms developed can but up a bunch from the aging farmers that can no longer run them or afford to run them.

Then you can set up your exotic farms with niche Asian foods that have apparently very high demand and make a fortune. Easy money for you.

No subsidies of course.

Bugsy, you've hit the nail on the head. I think exactly what you wrote every time someone complains about farm land being changed into houses.

In fact, I go even further: a similar response can also be given to anyone who complains about any other type of other business/asset being sold. Eg: foreign investment buying up Australian companies. The people who complain about this should instead of complaining band together and present a better offer to the seller. (With the exception of businesses concerning national security- such as an Australian company with defence contracts: in these cases obviously the Government should vet foreign investment)

I suspect that on-the-beach doesn't have much current horticultural farming experience in South-East Queensland. Otherwise they would know why there are so few farmers left; it is because these days it is the wrong place to grow stuff competitively. Other regions can produce produce cheaper and with less risk. In SE-Qld there are too many challenges such as: water issues (there no major irrigation schemes), pest issues (especially the queensland fruit fly), the land is either too hilly or its on flood plains (there is not a lot the basically flat land that is flood proof), the land parcels are too small for modern farming scales (some fruit farms in other regions of Australia cover square kilometers not just 10's of hectares like the old ones on the Sunshine and Gold Coast use to), there are few supporting businesses and services (such as the likes of EldersRural which supply fertilizers, spray, irrigation equipment, etc.), there is also a shortage of farm labour (in rural horticultural towns there are working backpacker hostels near the farms and/or a large low skilled immigrant work force- however, there are very few people who live on the GoldCoast who are willing to work on farms).
Put simply, times have changed, houses are the best thing to grow in coastal SE-Qld. Preventing a farmer from moving with the times and selling their property to non-farmers is not fair for them.

Building residential estates on farmland is moronic. But, are politicians not morons?

Industry is moving overseas. What do we have left? Food production and mining. The comrades will eventually put the kybosh on mining, so we will be left as an agrarian economy - if there is any land left.

ttbn: why is building suburbs on farmland moronic? If you're so against it then form a group of like minded folk to buy the farm and farm it.

Anyone who grows food in Australia is a bloody idiot. Food production is not a profitable enterprise, unless in a very big way. Returns have reduced to simply not enough to bother. Where one good year in 3 was enough to keep farmers reasonable viable in the past, today they need 2 good years in 3 just to survive.

I looked at buying a farm in that area. They are marginal wetland, requiring heavy draining even for cane. Would not suit most crops, & only short term crops at that. Much more suitable for a well drained, built up canal estate.

Australian farming realities.

Case Study 1/-
Mate spent years of money & effort developing an organic vegetable farm. He gave up when in one 4 month period he did not get back the cost of the boxes & the freight to send his very good organic stuff to market, let alone earn anything for his produce.

Case Study 2/-
Tomato farmer, in a very big way. He loses money in at least 7 months every year when he doesn't get the cost of production, freight & cartons for his stuff.

He will about break even for a further 2 or 3 months. So far in 12 years there has always been a period of 2 or 3 months where he gets very good prices, giving him a good living. He lives in fear that he will suffer a failure of production at the wrong time one year, & it will send him broke.

Case study 3/-
Wheat farmer, a very good one. Third generation on a good 1600 acre dry land farm on the downs. At 50 a successful debt free farmer. At 58 after 4 drought years crop failures, & 2 where they did not get the cost of production for their wheat, in debt to almost the value of the property. Only a lucky storm saved a couple of hundred acres of cotton, or he was broke.

I can't imagine why anyone with enough money to farm, would ever do it