FLIGHT Centre founder Graham Turner joined Rosewood residents rallying against mining projects ruining the rural lifestyle west of Ipswich on Saturday.
About 80 residents made up a convoy touring around mining sites surrounding Rosewood, including the planned expansion at Bremer View.
Mr Turner said his concern was that the current and future mining projects would decimate what was a picturesque rural setting.
The tourism mogul is leading a legal battle against coal mining projects from Ebenezer through to Grandchester.
His Spicer's Hidden Vale resort is within the vicinity of the proposed site and he fears any open-cut mining will turn clients off visiting the resort.
The Grandchester site is spread over 4856 hectares and Mr Turner is worried the effects of coal mining will be detrimental to the resort and fellow residents.
"It's just not an appropriate area to have a large open-cut coal mine," he said.
"About 400 small farms are going to be heavily impacted, let alone everyone else.
"This has been going on for a few years but it is coming to a head now."
Organiser Cassie McMahon said the tour was an eye-opener for protesters from outside Ipswich who were yet to see the extent of the mining operations.
The tour stopped at homes around the sites to hear personal stories of the mine's impact.
"It was quite confronting for quite a few people and hearing the way that it affects people has been quite confronting," she said.
Lock the Gate president Drew Hutton said open-cut mines should not be located so close to residential areas.
"The beautiful countryside and good environmental qualities is just part of the whole mining boom tsunami going through rural Australia," he said.
"I'm not against mining but there are appropriate places to put open-cut coal mines and this is highly inappropriate."
Mr Hutton encouraged land owners to "refuse to negotiate".
"One of the things that is becoming very clear with research over the past decade is there is no more unbreathable place around than next door to a coal mine."
Ms McMahon said land holders had been approached by OGL, which was in the process of buying land for the Bremer View expansion.
Story by Queensland Times, 21 January 2013, read in full.