Fraser coast locals have fronted in Ipswich today at the annual general meeting of New Hope Coal - the company responsible for the proposed Colton coal mine.
Farmers and community members from the Fraser Coast community, together with their supporters in the city, delivered messages to New Hope’s shareholders about the true impact of the business on prime agricultural land and water resources.
Bruce Parmentier and other members of the Great Sandy Strait Saviours attended the AGM to voice their dismay at the Colton coal mine proposal.
“We have huge concerns about the impacts that this coal mine would have on the internationally significant Ramsar Wetlands and UNESCO World Heritage listed Fraser Island. The untreated water waste that New Hope is proposing to pump into the Mary River plus all spillage from mining would end up throughout the waterways of the Great Sandy Strait, causing irreversible damage to the ecosystems there,” said Mr Parmentier.
“The localised problems for the town of Aldershot and surrounds shouldn’t be ignored either. Noise pollution, dust levels, and rainwater tanks polluted by coal dust are massive issues for that community. Aldershot has no access to town water, so the rainwater they collect is it as far as drinking water goes. We are here in the hopes that New Hope’s shareholders will show more regard for our community than their Executive have.”
The Great Sandy Strait Saviours are calling on the Queensland government to intervene in the project to prevent adverse impacts to the local environment.
The Great Sandy Strait Saviours say that protection for World Heritage listed Fraser Island and surrounding ecosystems from mine waste water pollution needs to be enshrined in legislation. Neither Labor or the LNP have yet made strong commitments to protect the region from New Hope’s mining operations.
Photos from the event can be accessed here.