coal communities

Whilst the news of Clive Palmer's maybe-binding-maybe-not multi million tonne coal deal with China has dominated the news this week and highlighted Queensland's ongoing love affair with the coal industry we have had a substantial win on another front.

Elves upended sacks of coal in the executive building at lunchtime today as others delivered 300 Christmas cards to the Premier, to the tune of a choir coal carolers.

The 300 Christmas cards were individually penned by Brisbane residents and were presented to the premier along with sacks of coal by Friends of the Earth activists dressed as elves.

The Queensland Government has proudly announced its commitment to introduce new measures to improve relationships between farmers and resource companies through its Land Access Strategy. But a commitment to easing access to farmland for mining development falls woefully short of the type of Land Protection Strategy that is desired by farmers across the state facing land acquisition from mining interests. This commitment does nothing to provide any meaningful security to land holders, to prime agricultural lands, or to high value conservation areas all at risk by the continuing expansion of coal. 

The Federal Government's Senate Select Committee on Agricultural and Related Industries has found, in no uncertain terms, that "prime agricultural land needs to be protected from mining developments" and that "protecting the most productive agricultural land is an important step in maintaining efficient and quality food production systems and ensuring the nation's food security."

This landmark inquiry has recommended that all jurisdictions consider "measures to protect their vital agricultural resources from mining and other activities in their respective jurisdictions."

An information night about the expansion of the coal industry into Western Central Queensland (the Galilee Coal Basin) and its impacts on biodiversity and communities.

6-8pm Monday the 12th October
Theatrette, Brisbane Square Library
Cnr Adelaide and George St, Brisbane City

Alpha has been getting a lot of attention in The Australian recently, with another article today (Riches in the Brigalow) about the town's uneasy acceptance of the proposed coal developments. 

Today's article prompted a flurry of letters to the editor with perspectives on the impacts on the Bimblebox nature refuge, the extra greenhouse gasses produced and the fallicy of the proposed Galilee 'clean-coal' power plant. 

The Herd have canceled their show tonight at the "Coal to Coast" festival in Sarina in central Queensland after fans sent a flurry of messages on email, facebook and twitter protesting their appearence at the coal-sponsored gig. The Herd, who were the headline act, pulled out of the event and replied to posts on their website with a statement that the band ‘would never knowingly get involved in an event that supports the coal industry’.

While The Herd's fans in Sarina will be disappointed, the band's last minute cancellation is a powerful delegitimisation of coal companies' attempts to appear community friendly and a strong signal of increasing public rejection of the impacts of the coal industry.

Last weekend the people of Felton, 30km south-west of Toowoomba, continued their fight against coal mining in style. With the support of Nationals senator Barnaby Joyce and 300 yellow balloons, released to demonstrate the potential spread of coal dust across the region, their story is starting to gain a profile and looks set to cause the Qld Government considerable angst when the time comes to finally approve the mining application.

Queensland’s Felton stands at the coal-face of the current debate between agriculture and mining that has seen recent features on Four Corners and Radio National's Australia Talks. The long-time township and farming community is under the suspended sentence of a coal mine and so-called “clean coal” plant tearing their lives apart. But, now with the support of Agforce, the Felton community is fighting back...

Yesterday, the Anglican, Catholic and Uniting Churches of the Darling Downs region of Queensland issued a joint statement regarding mining and agriculture on the Darling Downs. The statement recognises the irreversible damage that coal mines will have on the people and landscapes of the region, and calls for a respectful and genuine dialogue about the future of the agriculture and the environment of the region. It also affirms that the churches of the region stand in solidarity with the farmers affected by coal expansion.