Media Release: SBCT Fri 12 Dec LNP Waiting For Broadcaster Alan Jones To Go On Christmas Break Before Announcing Controversial New Acland Stage 3 Approval. Fears Of Electoral Backlash Over New Hope Coal $700 000 Donation Scandal Activist Group SBCT has claimed today that the New Acland Stage 3 mine expansion approval on the Darling Downs is a done deal, but no announcement has been made because the LNP in Qld is anxious to avoid a public confrontation with Sydney radio broadcaster Alan Jones. Were hearing the LNP is scared witless of Jones, said SBCT Spokesman John Gordon. They are petrified he will stir up a public outcry about the $700 000 donations made by New Hope Coal to the LNP in the lead-up to the Stage 3 expansion EIS application, which would in turn seriously jeopardise their re-election prospects. Were quite certain the Qld Government, bizarrely enough, is waiting for him to take Christmas holidays before making the controversial announcement. Gordon said SBCT it was obvious that Coordinator General Barry Broe had made the decision to allow the mine expansion a long time ago, but that the Government was waiting for a politically expedient time to make the announcement. Namely, when Jones goes on his Christmas break next week. Weve no reason to doubt it, says Gordon. This is standard cowardly procedure by Governments when announcing highly sensitive decisions. They wait until the media dead of night, eg over the Christmas break or while the Melbourne Cup is being run, to announce their dirty work as quietly as possible. The last thing they want is to talk about the gigantic $700 000 donations made in the critical lead-up period to the approval. Jones would crucify them over this if on air, so theyll wait him out. We are taking bets on a softly, softly Christmas Eve announcement, he said. Gordon said that New Acland Stage 3 has been shrouded in deep controversy from the get go. For starters, with this Stage 3 expansion, New Hope Coal is proposing to mine some of the best agricultural land in the world. Up to 10,000 hectares is earmarked for destruction. The LNP hoodwinked voters on the Darling Downs prior to the 2012 state election by promising the expansion would not go ahead if they were elected. Post the election the rhetoric changed.... to..ah ... they would not allow it to proceed in its current guise. New Hope Coal were subsequently invited to submit a revised EIS proposal. Everyone was gobsmacked. This new application turned out to be pretty much exactly the same mutton as the original, dressed up as young lamb.
Posted on: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 23:05:30 +0000
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