There is a coal mine proposed for high value farming land near Bundaberg and the world famous Mon Repos turtle rookery. We want the Mineral Development Licence Application to be refused by Minister Stewart. 

Opposed to the mine are: Tom Smith MP (local Labor MP) , Stephen Bennett MP (local LNP MP), Bundaberg Regional Council, Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers, Bundaberg Cane Growers, Burnett Mary Regional Group and most members of the local community. Without community support, this mine must not proceed. 

The community will bear the  negative effects from a coal mine: Wind borne toxic coal dust blowing over the community, large volumes of contaminated water being dumped into the Kolan River, depressed real estate values and stymied local investment, loss of employment in agricultural and tourism industries and degraded and polluted prime agricultural land.

Another major concern is the extremely high risk of seawater intrusion into the aquifers providing our irrigation and part of Bundaberg’s town-water. That would make the water useless for both purposes and destroy agriculture worth $10’s of millions per year.

The Bundaberg Mayor has stated his concerns as: “There are significant environmental issues that would arise from coal mining, including impacts on water, flora and fauna that would have long lasting detriment ... we oppose coal mining in parts of the Bundaberg Region that have high-value agriculture or tourism and environmental sensitivity."

Minister Stewart - you have a responsibility to refuse this application on the grounds that it is not wanted by the community, and that it will do serious and irreparable harm to our local environment and economy.