No hope for New Acland: landholders INGA STUNZNER17 Mar, 2014 The Regional Protection Plan was meant to protect landowners from mining interests. Image: Oakey beef producer and veterinarian Dr Nicki Laws. LANDOWNERS on the Darling Downs say they have been ignored and let down by the state government over a potential mine expansion. Oakey beef producer and veterinarian Dr Nicki Laws said the government had reneged on an election promise to not allow New Hope to expand its New Acland mine. This project is so bad it is a litmus test for the democratic process and fair government process, she said. Last week submissions closed to the EIS, which revealed up to 8.9GL - or nine billion litres - of water would be used each year for the next 15 years. We are utterly appalled that the same week the submission closed is the same week 80 per cent of the state is drought declared and people are shooting their cattle, Dr Laws said. They cant even water their stock yet this company might get an obscene amount of water to wash coal and dampen its roads. A spokesperson for New Hope said the revised project would use 8.9GL a year but 3.3GL would be waste water bought from the Watella Reclamation Facility through the Toowoomba Regional Council. Dr Laws said the government was changing the rules, making it difficult for landowners and the community. The Regional Protection Plan was meant to protect landowners from mining interests, but now they are talking about coexistence, she said. Read more: queenslandcountrylife.au/news/agriculture/general/news/no-hope-for-new-acland-landholders/2691481.aspx?storypage=0
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 05:13:39 +0000
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