By DANE LILLINGSTONE
Council and community stand together in opposition…
RESIDENTS of the Southern Downs have made it clear that they do not want coal mines and gas fields in the region.
A community meeting, held at Goomburra Hall on Saturday featured Queensland Senator Glen Lazarus as the keynote speaker.
A noted critic of coal seam gas, Senator Lazarus called for more studies into the long-term effects of coal and gas mining.
“A Royal Commission is needed on both human and agricultural impacts,” he said.
Deputy Mayor Ross Bartley and councillor Jamie Mackenzie attended the Goomburra meeting on the proposed coal mine.
Cr Mackenzie was presented with a declaration at the meeting from community representatives opposed to the mining.
It will be presented to the other representatives of council in their next meeting.
In a rare showing of unity, the council and community stood together in opposition of mining in the area.
This stems from the January 2015 general meeting where the council resolved to oppose coal seam gas, oil and coal mining in its prime tourist, rural lifestyle and agricultural areas.
“The last thing we want is an Acland coal scenario on the upper east side of the Southern Downs,” Cr Mackenzie said in a statement.
“We all would like to see the mining sector develop in appropriate parts of Queensland and for agriculture to prosper.
“The Darling Downs Regional Plan goes some way to separating mining, agriculture and urban centres, but it is impossible that the two can co-exist on the Southern Downs.
“Unlike central Queensland, the Southern Downs region features comparatively dense rural settlement, so mining would be on someone’s door step.”
However, it is not in the power of the Southern Downs Regional Council to approve or reject coal mines and any final decision would rest with the State Government.
Residents in the Goomburra Valley area were notified late last year by coal mining company APEC Coal that they intended to commence drilling in the area but have heard nothing since.
A survey carried out by members of the Southern Downs Protection Group of local residents in Goomburra, Allora and Berat revealed 92 per cent of respondents were against the invasive mining.
President of the Southern Downs Protection Group Sarah Moles said the proposed development would threaten the town of Allora, agricultural land, water bores, Dalrymple Creek and Condamine River.
“This is the first time that a Southern Downs community has taken steps to declare itself coal mining and gas field free and we are all very excited,” Ms Moles said.
“We want to stop the threat of this devastating coal mine before it’s too late and this is the community’s way of saying to APEC coal ‘don’t think you can just walk in and bully us into accepting your proposal’.”
