Media Release.
Deputy
Premier Jeff Seeney has refused to guarantee community members and environmental
scientists a role in the critical government inquiry into streamlining mining
industry regulation.
Shadow
Environment Minister Jackie Trad said Mr Seeney had confirmed that mining
industry representatives and select individuals from mining companies had been
invited to submit ideas for deregulation but genuine community and environmental
concerns would not be sought.
Ms Trad said
during Estimates hearings today, the Deputy Premier had refused to confirm that
the net would be cast wider than the mining industry.
“That means
environmental scientists, regional communities and interested members of the
public will not be invited, sought out or encouraged to provide advice into the
powerful Resources Cabinet Committee about how deregulation would affect their
lives and communities,” Ms Trad said.
“As you would
expect from this LNP Government, they will only hear one side of the story – the
side they want to hear.
“This is a
Committee that has been established, in the words of the Deputy Premier, to
“aggressively examine impacts of government regulation on the mining
industry”.
“Well,
there’s nothing aggressive about lazily listening to the industry while refusing
to take on board concerns about the environment and the wider concerns of the
Queensland community.
“The Deputy
Premier needs to explain why himself and five of his Ministerial colleagues
refuse to listen.
“He needs to
explain why no-one other than themselves and the industry will have a seat at
the table.
“He needs to
give an undertaking that this Committee will not be a whitewash – and an
undertaking that every voice that needs to be heard will
be.”
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