Open letter against Adani's water plan from Queensland Farmers

A letter from Farmers For Climate Action

Dear Ministers Price and Enoch

We are Queensland farmers and graziers and we're calling on you to protect our livelihoods. Water is the lifeblood of our regions. Without it, agriculture and our way of life will disappear. Yet governments are failing to protect it.

Right now, Adani's proposal for a "groundwater dependent ecosystem management plan" in the Galilee Basin risks setting a dangerous precedent for farmers and graziers across Queensland . As Environment Ministers their proposal goes to you for consideration.

But approving this plan in light of the evidence below would be telling mining companies that no matter how devastating the potential risks projects pose to our water, they'll receive the green light anyway.

Please consider:

1. The Federal Government's own Bioregional Assessment research into the cumulative impacts of proposal mines for the Galilee region found a more tha 95% chance of changing water flows in the local river basin ( and this was despair only having date to numerically model 7 of the 17 proposals coal and coal seam gas projects);
2. Scientists are concerned Adani's Carmichael mine could permanently dry up local springs in the area;
3. Australia's peak scientific body, the CSIRO, said that Adani's "Groundwater Dependent Ecosystem Management" plan users univerified data.

Approving Adani's groundwater plan in light of this research would set a dangerous precedent for farmers facing other developments across Queensland.

Without bores and access to water, we can't farm. We have to protect them. It's that simple.

We're asking you to reject Adani's Groundwater Dependent Ecosystem Management plan, and expediate thorough on-ground research into the true potential risks of thermal coal and gas mining on local water systems across Queensland.

Climate change already is leading to longer, more severe droughts and unprecedental heatwaves. The last thing we need are new mines messing around with water, the lifeblood of our industry.

Please Ministers Price and Enoch,

Stand up for Queenslane Farmers.