Unanimous opposition by Bundaberg councillors to a coal mine planned for north of the city has sent a clear message to the Palaszczuk Government that the company’s mineral development licence application should be rejected, according to Lock the Gate Alliance.
Bundaberg councillors this morning voted unanimously to oppose Fox Resource’s proposed mine, and also voted in favour of protecting “parts of the Bundaberg Region that have high-value agriculture or tourism and environmental sensitivity” from coal mining.
Lock the Gate Wide Bay spokesperson Vicki Perrin said it was great to see local politicians standing up for their community.
“What we need now is for the Queensland Palaszczuk Government to recognise that Bundaberg is absolutely no place for a dirty great coal mine,” she said.
“Fox Resources, or any other company, should never have been allowed to apply for a mineral development licence over such valuable prime agricultural land.
“It is unthinkable that one of the major food bowls of Australia should be threatened in this way.
“We are urging the Palaszczuk Government to not only reject this MDLA, but to make major changes to regional planning legislation so areas that contain prime agricultural land are permanently off limits to destructive coal and gas proposals.
“Farmers should not be forced to fight battle after battle against resource companies - the Bundaberg region only recently drove off unconventional gas, and now we’re forced to fight this coal mining company.
“This is why the Palaszczuk Government must change the Regional Planning Interests Act.”