Land tenure is the subject of an enquiry by the Queensland Parliament. Security of land tenure is a significant issue in Queensland. Some 50% of Queensland is held under pastoral lease, for terms of thirty years and upwards; another 15% is held under perpetual lease for (usually) pastoralism. Only some 20% is freehold.

Reading between the lines, it is evident that some Members of Parliament want to liberalise land tenure. If this means granting freehold to lessees on more generous terms, it could be seriously against the public interest.

The justifications commonly cited for moving to a freehold system – low incentive to invest, poor profitability, intrusive management by the State - are fictions. Queensland has been settled on the basis of a leasehold system.

The attached summary of presentations I have made to the Inquiry as an independent scholar outline a current contemporary justification for retaining a largely leasehold system in the pastoral lands of Queensland.