Some of the key focuses of the Lock the Gate Alliance's oral submission at today's Senate inquiry into the Newman government will be the likelihood that the coal and unconventional gas projects in Queensland could well leave the State Government and many landholders with huge financial problems.
Lock the Gate president Drew Hutton will argue firstly that, with the lack of transparency associated with the mechanism for assessing coal seam gas royalties, it is possible Queensland will end up with far less than the $800m it is expecting.
Secondly, with the disbandment of the Contaminated Land Unit and the failure of the State of Environment Report to gather data of land disturbed by mining, it is likely there is only a small fraction of the mining rehabilitation liability held by the State in financial assurances. This could leave a shortfall in the billions of dollars.
Thirdly, there is nowhere near enough reserves in the Surat Basin's underground water to cope with the requirements for coal seam gas companies to "make good" on the water landholders will lose due to CSG mining. Landholders could be forced to walk off their properties because of lack of underground water..
"This is symptomatic of a terrible failure of governance by the Newman government," Mr Hutton said.
"The very benefit the mining boom was supposed to provide to Queensland - economic development for the state - could well prove to be a fizzer, if not an outright disaster."
Mr Hutton will be appearing at the inquiry at 11.45pm at Cliftons, Level 3, 288 Edward St, Brisbane. The inquiry starts at 10am.The hearings are live streamed at www.aph.gov.au or follow the tweets #QldInc