China First, Environmental Approvals Later

22nd of Feb, 2010

Conservation and community groups in Queensland have responded with grave concerns to the announcement of a coal mining deal in the Galilee Basin in Central Queensland between China and mining magnate Clive Palmer, and the speed with which Premier Bligh has jumped on the bandwagon. But the groups say that without any completed environmental assessments, no water access, no transport links and no mining development lease, it is severely premature to assume that the China First proposal has an automatic green light.

According to Mackay Conservation Group’s Patricia Julien, who heads up the alliance of regional groups, the project is far from a done deal. As she explains: 

The project has not yet secured mining leases.  

Its holdings are only coal mining exploration permits according to the Queensland Department of Mines and Energy Mining Tenure online maps. Yet reports state that the mining will begin at the end of 2010 or in 2014.

The impact assessment for Resourcehouse’s development began only late last year, and due to the scale of their proposal it will require years of assessment for it to be at all credible.

 As Mrs Julien says: 

If the proper processes are to be followed, there is simply no way this time frame could happen.

These processes are in place to safeguard the environmental values of the country, yet both the Government and Mr Palmer are speaking in language which suggests strongly that the Queensland Government, in its desperation to quickly improve its economic situation, will attempt to fast-track and rubber stamp the deal.

This would be a massive project so its environmental impact assessment should not be fast tracked. Under threat of adverse impacts are a Nature Refuge, grazing and agricultural lands, stock routes, towns and ecosystems in a region where less than 3% of the land is in protected conservation areas. We do not want to see further environmental losses in Central Queensland because of exports of more carbon pollution to China.

This is a strategy which will come back to haunt us as climate change causes decline of the Reef and our tourism, grazing and agricultural industries and loss of our woodland bird and other arboreal species. Neither do we want to see the usual 'check the box' approach to community engagement by the coal industry and the State government.

The China First project and the adjacent Hancock projects plan to export an additional 100 million tonnes of coal a year, that represents the release ~300 million tonnes of carbon pollution annually.

This is equivalent respectively to 77% of energy sector and 53% of all of Australia’s 2006 greenhouse gas emissions, just from three mines. These mines will produce around 30 million tonnes per year each of export coal. By comparison, most mines in the neighbouring Bowen Basin each produce between 2-9 million tonnes a year of coal.

The larger size means larger scale impacts on the environment, communities and coastal ports and marine areas. Proposed port development at Abbot Point to accommodate the mining industry is out of scale with the site.

The alliance of groups also point out the hypocrisy of the Queensland government's position in pre-empting the approval process for the Alpha mine: 

The Premier is sending mixed messages by behaving on the one hand as though the Government’s own processes and climate change are minor considerations when it comes to mines and on the other saying people and business must take steps to reduce their carbon footprints. It is a high risk strategy to put all your eggs in the coal basket.

We want sustainable proactive rather than reactive leadership and planning for Queensland.

This joint press release was prepared by:

See also: 

 

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