No Trade Off Between Jobs and the Environment

Friends of the Earth Brisbane says the Mines and Energy Minister is trading off environmental protection for the creation of more unsustainable jobs in Queensland with the fast-tracking of 11 mining projects. This fast-tracking will be achieved by bypassing the Environmental Protection Agency's approval of development plans as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment.

“The Environmental Protection Agency has a vital role in keeping the mining industry accountable. We should heed lessons from the environmental impacts of mines such as the flooding of the Ensham coal mine in Emerald, and the subsequent pollution of the community’s drinking water and ensure that procedures for assessing environmental impacts need to be strengthened rather than bypassed. It is unacceptable to bypass the only process for investigating environmental impacts of mining projects” said spokesperson Eleanor Smith from Friends of the Earth.

"There is no need for trading off environmental protection in the bid to secure employment in the energy sector. The renewable energy sector will produce far more green jobs that will be secure for many generations to come” said Ms Smith.

"Rather than speeding up dirty mining projects that draw us deeper into dependence on the quarry economy, both major political parties need show us they're ready to pull us out of the financial downturn with funding and retraining for a transition to a sustainable economy" said Ms Smith.