Jericho grazier joins court challenge against proposed $4.2b coal mine in Galilee Basin

Extract from ABC News

By Jessica van Vonderen

Posted about 10 hours ago

Photo: Grazier Bruce Currie, pictured with wife Annette, has joined a challenge against a proposed $4.2 billion coal mine. (ABC News: Marlina Whop)

Map: Jericho 4728

A central Queensland grazier has joined conservation groups in a court challenge to try to protect his farm from a proposed coal mine.

Bruce Currie, from Jericho, said GVK Hancock's proposed Kevin's Corner mine in the Galilee Basin could threaten his livelihood.
He spoke to the ABC outside the Land Court in Brisbane on the first day of a two week hearing.
"To date we've been given no security at all that our groundwater supplies won't be destroyed by the impact of those mines," Mr Currie said.
"If the mines destroy our ground water supplies, that will destroy our business.
"We lose our livelihood. We lose our future and I can't hand anything on to my children."
The proposed Kevin's Corner mine would be built in central western Queensland's vast and remote Galilee Basin.
Lawyers for GVK Hancock told the court it was a $4.2 billion project to export 30 million tonnes of thermal coal each year across a 40-year mining lease.

Damian Clothier QC said the coordinator-general had identified potential adverse environmental impacts, but concluded "they could be avoided, minimised or offset through conditions".
He said underground water supplies would be regularly monitored.
Mr Clothier also outlined significant employment opportunities, economic benefits to the state in the form of royalties, and local road upgrades.
But the North Queensland Conservation Council wants a closer look at the cumulative impacts of the mine.
"Our concern is that there is a very, very thorough and robust assessment," said the council's coordinator Wendy Tubman outside court.
"With more and more mines going in across Queensland it's really important that we look at the big picture."
This was not the first time Mr Currie has come to court to fight for his farm.
In 2013, he objected to GVK Hancock's Alpha mine on similar grounds.
The case went all the way to the Supreme Court and remains the subject of legal action.
Mr Currie said dealing with the legal system had been challenging.
"I'm not legally trained. I'm just a layperson who specialises in agriculture. I'm passionate about producing high quality food and fibre from a sustainable sector so all this has been a big learning curve for me," he said.

This latest hearing has been set down for two weeks.