A Parliamentary Petition to save prime agricultural land and important environmental areas north of Bundaberg from a planned coal mine has attracted more than 5,000 signatures.
The petition, which closed on Friday, recorded 5,286 online signatures in total.
Lock the Gate spokesperson Vicki Perrin said the huge number of signatures showed just how ludicrous the Fox Resources coal mine proposal was.
“The land north of Bundaberg is a nationally significant food bowl,” she said.
“The land earmarked for coal mining also includes the banks of the Kolan River, which is a vital marine breeding ground for the Southern Great Barrier Reef.
“This level of opposition from the community sends a strong message to Fox Resources that its destructive coal mine is not welcome here.
“We are calling on Fox Resources 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.”