Environment Group Welcomes Shale Oil Announcement

Six Degrees welcomes the Queensland government's announcement of a 20 year moratorium on the development of shale oil in the Whitsunday region and no new shale oil mines.

The exploitation of shale oil fuels climate change and is ecologically very damaging to extract. If the project in the Whitsundays had gone ahead, it would have created up to 40 million tonnes of greenhouse gases each year, which is equivalent to a quarter of Queensland's annual emissions.

“We support this important move and urge the state government to demonstrate more concern for the planet in its other policies” said Climate Justice spokesperson Emma Brindal.

“The Queensland government is pushing ahead with massive coal infrastructure development and approving new coal mines all over the state. The Wiggins Island coal terminal in Gladstone, which is due to start construction next year, will have a final export capacity of 84 million tonnes of coal. In July Premier Anna Bligh announced plans for a project which would involve three new coal mines, a 500k rail link and another new coal port to be sited at Port Clinton in Shoalwater Bay. This is climate insanity” said Ms Brindal.

“Queensland's coal production is undoubtedly fuelling climate change. As we face changes to the earth's climate that are happening faster than predicted by climate scientists, it is essential that we start decreasing production of Queensland coal rather than increasing it” said Ms Brindal.