QR National Wiggins Island deal cements one track economy, damages environment

Queensland’s internationally famed coast line is under siege with the QR National Wiggins Island rail project opening the floodgates to 34 new coal mine projects proposed across the state.

Friends of the Earth spokesperson Dr Bradley Smith warns that it's important to recognise the costs of these projects on the community and environment.

“This rail project will worsen the one track, two speed economy that is hurting Queensland communities and our iconic environment” said Dr. Smith.

“What benefit will this project bring to the people of Mount Larcom who will have a coal train going trough their town every 15 minutes, 24 hours per day?” Asked Dr. Smith.

The Wiggins Island rail project and associated port development are under scrutiny by the World Heritage Committee, who are planning a visit to Gladstone to assess the impact of the coal and gas port expansion.

“While QR National shareholders celebrate the new Wiggins Island rail deal, investors should be warned the deal will be under scrutiny from a UNESCO World Heritage Committee visit,” said Dr Smith.

“Friends of the Earth has witnessed dredging buckets dig through metres of compacted coal dust settled on the sea floor. Recent development in the Gladstone bay area has seen up to 160 turtles washing up dead on beaches.”

“Queensland rightly promotes itself as the tourism state, however we are quickly losing our beautiful natural coast line to giant coal and gas terminals and the rail infrastructure that comes along with it,”

The QR National rail project is the first of several new coal mine rail corridor developments for Queensland. The new privately owned rail lines cover hundreds of kilometres all across Queensland, set to impact scores of regional towns and cut their way through our nature refuges and precious wetlands, this is an environmental tragedy”.

“Our landscape is being dissected we have to seriously ask ourselves – where will this end? When will our political leaders start to say no to mines and rail lines and work to ensure our beautiful sunshine state is protected?”

“The power to stop these mines is in the hands of Minister Vicky Darling and the Premier Anna Bligh. Queenslanders want prosperity but not if it means turning our reef into a shipping highway.”

Listen to the interview on Jacquie Mackay's Breakfast show (ABC Capricornia) here