Legislation Confirms ‘Cash For Legislation’ Deal To Mine North Stradbroke Island

Media Release.

The Newman Government has again put the interests of big mining companies ahead of Traditional Owners and Queensland's environment, enacting a deal with sand mining company Sibelco, says Shadow Environment Minister Jackie Trad.

“The new North Stradbroke Island Protection and Sustainability and Another Act Amendment Bill 2013 enacts almost word for word the requests for extensions to sand mining provided in a briefing note by Sibelco to the Newman Government,” Ms Trad said.

“Queenslanders need to know that these laws follow a $91,840 spend by big Belgian miner Sibelco advocating a vote for Campbell Newman in the seat of Ashgrove during the 2012 State election."

“That was a campaign spend that initially went undeclared to the Electoral Commission of Queensland.

"At Parliamentary Estimates hearings in July it was revealed that the LNP Government had met with Sibelco on eight separate occasions over seven weeks, while ignoring the genuine concerns of the native title holder on North Stradbroke Island, the Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation."

“At those hearings the deal was described as ‘cash-for-legislation’."

"After initially implying that these meetings were standard practice the Minister was forced to later admit to the Parliamentary Committee that three of these meetings took place between his political staffer, a lobbyist and Sibelco about ‘making or amendment of legislation’ with no Departmental officials present."

"I think any decent Queenslander who looks at this deal would think it stinks."

Ms Trad said the new Bill would extend sand mining on North Stradbroke Island until at least 2035.

"North Stradbroke Island took millions of years to form and its unique environment and sand hydrology will be lost forever under the Newman Government’s dirty money deal," she said.

"This is nothing short of a disgusting, abhorrent cash for legislation deal from a Government that is more interested in serving the interests of big business than Queenslanders."

"It was Wayne Goss and Labor that saved Fraser Island from the environmental destruction caused by Joh Bjelke-Peterson and it will ultimately be Labor who is left to clean up Campbell Newman's dirty deal to destroy North Stradbroke Island."