Exclusive: project becomes an increasingly vexed state election issue as the mining union threatens to withdraw support for the party
Labor’s internal environment lobby has called on the Queensland government not to approve the expansion of the controversial New Acland coalmine on the Darling Downs – a project that has become an increasingly vexed election issue for the party.
This week, the mining union threatened to withdraw its campaign support for Labor at the upcoming Queensland election over the ongoing uncertainty about the proposed expansion.
The federal Labor MPs Joel Fitzgibbon, Shane Neumann and Anthony Chisholm have each urged the state to approve the New Acland expansion. The federal Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, has criticised the approvals process as taking “an extraordinary long period of time”.
Next to the Adani coalmine proposal, the New Acland expansion has become a significant touchstone for the broader debate about coal, climate and the environment in Queensland.
The state government has been waiting until the outcome of a high court appeal by farming and environmental groups before making the final approvals required for stage three of the New Acland project.
In the midst of the politically charged debate, the Labor Environment Action Network (Lean) has released a formal position to party members that the expansion “should not be approved at this time”.
“The legal process must run its course with the best available science and full transparency being applied,” the position statement, obtained by Guardian Australia, says.
“Our concern is that before any decision on stage three is made, the Labor government is supported in its decision to allow the legal processes to go through to the high court and any subsequent land court rehearing.”
The position listed “problems” with the proposal, including inflated jobs claims and environmental concerns.
“Lean acknowledges some Labor MPs are calling for approval of stage three. News Corp and the LNP are in full attack mode – calling on the premier and [resources] minister [Anthony] Lynham to approve the mine – to stop ‘destroying’ Queensland jobs, ignoring the thousands of jobs Labor is supporting across the regions.
“Interestingly, in 2012, the then LNP government opposed the mine because of its impact on prime agricultural land.
“We urge the state government to commit to developing a credible low-carbon transition strategy for the region surrounding Oakey and Toowoomba so that its post-Acland future is prosperous and its agricultural and water resources are protected.”
Conservation groups have been critical of recent light penalties given to New Acland for significant breaches of environmental protection laws at its existing mine sites.
The company was fined $9,461 for 34 separate noise violations during a 10-week period; and $3,142 for drilling 27 illegal bores.
If the Oakey Coal Action Alliance – the group opposing the expansion in the courts – wins its high court appeal, the stage three approval would be sent back to the Queensland land court for rehearing.
Paul King – a spokesman for the alliance and a member of Lean – said he was confident Labor in Queensland would stick to its position and allow the court challenge to play out before issuing final approvals.
“It’s been absolutely consistent since day one this would be decided by due process,” King said.
“There has been concern in the Labor party about the effect on jobs, with the transitioning to a non-fossil-fuel economy. That’s a real concern which also must be addressed, but we cannot ignore the environmental and intergenerational effects of the New Acland mine.”
The president of the CFMEU Queensland mining division, Stephen Smyth, told the Australian this week that Labor’s position on New Acland had raised questions about its stated support for the coal industry.
“The premier and her ministers sound like a broken record when they claim they have a commitment to wait for court action to conclude,” Smyth said.
“But we know both the Palaszczuk and Bligh governments found a way around the courts when they approved the Adani and Xstrata projects respectively. Both of these projects were subject to court action when they were approved.”
The high court will hold a hearing next week, with New Acland attempting to seek a $90,000 security for potential costs from the alliance.
King said the group would fight the case regardless.
“New Acland is using an obvious legal strategy to try to curtail our appeal – we always expected the company would try after it failed to wind up our organisation.
“The decision on whether we have to stump up the money will be made by the court. At any rate, OCAA will fight on – our farmers are dedicated to trying to save their land from being ripped up and dug out for a dirty big coalmine at Acland.”
New Hope group, the parent company of New Acland, has been approached for comment.
No comments:
Post a Comment