Federal Resource Minister Keith Pitt’s comments concerning the destructive New Acland coal mine are disgracefully opportunistic, and seek to use the covid-19 pandemic to further his political agenda.
Oakey Coal Action Alliance spokesperson Paul King said Mr Pitt’s comments, which were made in the media this morning, showed how little the minister, who also holds the water portfolio, cared about farmers’ access to clean water.
“If New Acland Stage 3 goes ahead, it will drain farmers’ water bores and severely hamper food and fodder production in the region,” Mr King said.
“The minister doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
“New Acland Stage 3 cannot proceed because it has no water licence and no regional interest approval.
“The minister’s call is without substance, and as the minister for water he should know this.
“For him to use the Covid-19 crisis as a cheap way to further his political agenda is simply disgraceful. There is a legal process being followed which the QLD Palaszczuk Government is thankfully observing. Mr Pitt would do well to do the same.
“The agricultural soils New Acland’s expansion would destroy are among the top 1.5 percent in the state and we need to protect them from mining.
“Farmers cannot afford to lose these soils or the water that sits beneath them.”