A wide cross section of groups involved in stakeholder negotiations with the Palaszczuk Government over the protection of the Lake Eyre Basin rivers and floodplains from new oil and gas are demanding the community consultation paper informed by those meetings be released publicly.
Despite indicating the consultation Regulatory Impact Statement (cRIS) would be released shortly after the meetings, which were held between March and July last year, the government has repeatedly delayed the publication of the document.
As a result, members of the Lake Eyre Basin Stakeholder Advisory Group yesterday sent a joint letter (available here) to the Premier, demanding the government release the cRIS immediately.
Lake Eyre Basin Traditional Owner Alliance Executive Member George Gorringe said, “It is an election commitment of this government to work with the Traditional Owners in protecting the Lake Eyre Basin rivers and floodplains. The RIS needs to be released immediately to give Traditional Owners and other community members a chance to have their say.”
Agforce CEO Mike Guerin said, “AgForce joins in imploring government to commence this critical and overdue deep consultation process and again puts forward its ‘Land Use Protection Principles’ as an important foundation consideration across the Lake Eyre Basin.”
Western Rivers Alliance Coordinator Riley Rocco said, “The work of the Stakeholder Advisory group concluded in July last year. As far as we are concerned, there is no credible reason to continue to delay public consultation on this urgently needed reform.”
Lock the Gate Alliance Queensland Coordinator Ellie Smith said, “We all agree that certainty is needed for locals in the Lake Eyre Basin. The Palaszczuk Government’s release of the cRIS is long overdue. It is time the government gave all Queenslanders a say on the future of these precious rivers.”