May 18, 2014
Saturday night’s ‘Beats for Baselines’ was a huge success reflecting the amount of community concern about inappropriate mining in the Wide Bay Burnett region.
Coalfree Wide Bay Burnett spokesperson, Vicki Perrin said the event at the Avondale Tavern raised $8,500 towards baseline testing of water and air quality.
The event included bands, auctions, raffles and market stalls. About 200 people attended and signed a petition calling for protection of their air, water and agricultural land.
“We’re ecstatic,” Ms Perrin said. “We have to raise more but we are well on our way now thanks to the support from the bands, the Avondale Tavern, other local businesses and the community.
“This really is a fabulous place to live and the invasion of our community by the coal or the gas industry is something we take very seriously. We will not be mining industries’ collateral damage.
“The response should be a warning to our local and state government representatives that they can’t just railroad us into accepting the unacceptable.
Ms Perrin said many coal mines were proposed in the region as well as an “alarming” Blue Energy proposal for shale gasfields covering 3,800 square kilometres.
Avondale resident Penny Taylor said: “It’s important that my grandchildren’s future is protected. From what I hear from friends in other mining communities, there is a real risk of contamination to either our air or water supply. It really is up to us to protect this place for our children and all those to come, that’s why we locked our gate to mining.”
Lorraine Heyes of Winfield said: “I’ve seen what’s been going on in other places and we do not want that here. Baffle Creek is a precious water course and we will not stand by and watch all that we love destroyed.”