Bundaberg farmers and Lock the Gate Alliance are urging people opposed to a destructive coal mine planned for just north of the city to sign a Queensland Parliamentary Petition before the deadline tomorrow (January 30).
The coal mine, if approved, would destroy valuable country for sugarcane and macadamias, among other crops, and is on the Kolan River - a vital marine breeding ground for the Southern Great Barrier Reef.
Tegege farmer Diane Bush said the banks of the Kolan River were an utterly inappropriate place for a coal mine.
“This land is very suitable for agriculture, especially with the underground water aquifers which the mine could contaminate if it was built,” she said.
“The world needs food much more than it needs coal.”
Lock the Gate Wide Bay spokesperson Vicki Perrin said locals were committed to the fight against Fox Resources’ proposal.
“People here have just seen off Blue Energy, who wanted to drill gas wells on this fertile country,” she said.
“Fox Resources directors won’t know what hit them if they proceed with plans for this ill-thought out and destructive coal mine.
“We are calling on this company to abandon plans to dig for coal in what is one of the most fertile food bowls in the country.
“We are also calling on the Queensland Government to reject the application given that our regional plan is incomplete and mapping of priority agricultural areas is not yet done.
“The regional plan needs to be set in stone to protect agricultural areas.”
The inferred resource is more than 174 million tons according to Fox's ASX statement.