Queensland: Beautiful one day, open-cut coalmines the next
Posted by Jim on May 29, 2010
Coal survey maps suggest that large swathes of land from Bundaberg to the Mary Valley could end up as open-cut coal mines. This is adjacent to, and in some cases covers, tourist areas, sensitive environmental areas including watercourses and wetlands, State forests, national parks and viable farmland. It extends to the Mary Valley and the Mary River. Figure 1 is a map of the various coal basins in South-East Queensland.
Figure 1: Coal Basins in South-East Queensland
Source: http://www.dme.qld.gov.au/zone_files/coal_files_pdf/se_qld_coal_map_08.pdf,
accessed 24 May 2010
Figure 1 shows very clearly that the Maryborough Basin intrudes upon Bundaberg and Maryborough and extends as far south as Gympie and into the Mary Valley.
Some of the coal interests cover very large areas. For example, Tiaro Coal’s current exploration interests cover territory from Bundaberg to the Mary Valley. This is only one coal group. The extent of Tiaro Coal’s interests and drilling locations is set out on the map in Figure 2.
Figure 2: Tiaro Coal Exploration Interests as at 31 March 2010
Source: Tiaro Coal Media Release, 20 April 2010, http://www.tiarocoal.com.au/ accessed 23 May 2010
At Tiaro itself, halfway between Gympie and Maryborough, Tiaro Coal Limited’s coal exploration permits [EPCs] cover 1600 square kilometres including Munna Creek and wetlands.
Tiaro Coal has a joint venture with China Qinfa Group Limited, a non-government Chinese coal operator, which is incorporated in the Cayman Islands1. China Qinfa, through fully-owned subsidiary, Bright Rock, now owns 30 percent of Tiaro Coal2.
The first of these new coalmines planned to be in operation is operated by Northern Energy Corporation [NEC], Figure 3.
Figure 3: Map of Proposed Colton Coal
Source: Northern Energy Corporation poster, http://www.northernenergy.com.au/, accessed 15 May 2010
The open-cut Colton Coal Mine will be dug three kilometres from the town of Aldershot [population 500] a few kilometres north of Maryborough and at the gateway to Hervey Bay. This is clear from NEC’s map of the proposed mine in Figure 2. The mine will change the nature of Hervey Bay and Maryborough forever.
NEC estimates that there are over 100 million tons of coking coal in the mining lease they have applied for. They plan to shift 500,000 tons of coal a year using the Queensland Rail network to Bundaberg where the coal will be exported.
NEC will dismiss the environment, which will be ripped up, as scrubby Wallum country, but the bush area plays a role in maintaining the water table for the Hervey Bay region. Wash from the mine is planned to be re-routed to Saltwater Creek to avoid Ramsar requirements for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources3. However, Saltwater Creek, while outside the designated Ramsar area, flows into the Mary River, and the estuary is part of the Ramsar designated area. The Susan River will also be affected. It flows into the Mary River estuary closer to the mouth, within the Ramsar wetland reserve.
Until now, coalmining in Queensland has had few social impacts because it has been in the relatively remote regions. Now the Queensland Government is issuing exploration permits for coal adjacent to established towns [in this case Aldershot (population 1,200) and Torbanlea] and within unacceptable proximity to Maryborough.
The health impacts on children and the population generally of towns close to coalmines is well known in overseas studies4 and there has been recent media attention on the health effects of coalmining in the Upper Hunter Valley5. The town has two coalmines from 2-3 kilometres from the edge of Singleton.
What is happening at Aldershot could happen to other communities in the Maryborough Coal Basin. Families who had moved to the town for an ideal environment within which to raise their children, or to retire, are alarmed at the threat to their families’ health.”
The families of Aldershot know that this is one of the detrimental impacts they face with the imminent possibility of the mine opening.
The Upper Hunter Valley experience, and the available public health literature should give the Bligh Government pause in considering the current plans for the mine. However, the most important factor in Government encouragement of the coal and gas extraction industry is not the people, not the environment but the royalties earned.
The health impacts are alarming. Where there were towns near coalmines, public health suffers. And that makes decisions about mining lease approvals a matter of morality.
One of the most significant impacts is on children. Towns near coalmines have 1 out of 4 children with lower lung function than the average function. The national figure is 1 out of 9. A number of studies around the world have found that the escalation of community health problems is associated with nearby coal mines.
NEC’s initial statements initially referred to the Colton Coal Mine as a small mine with one trainload of coal to Bunderberg a day. The reality is quite different. If NEC only move 500,000 tonnes of coal a year, as they have said, the mine will last at least 100 years. This means that three generations in Maryborough and districts will be affected.
Labor has to decide which is more important – people, rivers and the wetlands or coal royalties. If priority is given to coal, the region will be destroyed environmentally and for many towns.
The Member for Wide Bay, Warren Truss is compromised. The Nationals stand for mining regardless of their supposed support of the farming community. More and more prime agricultural land is being alienated by mining activity. This is in a period when we face the harsh realities of global warming and its impact on food production!
The Greens are implacably opposed to coalmining that destroys peoples’ quality of life, the ecology of the area, sensitive habitats, or prime agricultural land.
When coalmining threatens to destroy the lifestyle of the 1200 residents of Aldershot, just north of Maryborough, it’s time to call a halt.
Planning legislation must stop open cut coal mines devastating agricultural areas, near residential areas or near environmentally sensitive areas, especially given the industry’s appalling record on environmental management and site rehabilitation.
On top of this, the Queensland Government is considering selling off Queensland rail to a consortium of coalmining companies. The final element in selling out Queenslanders. NEC is already planning to use Queensland rail to transport the coal to Bundaberg. No doubt the port facilities and the rail link and upgrades [which ought to be done to improve rail transportation in South-East Queensland] will be developed at the taxpayers’ expense.
Queensland Rail is set to become the property of coalmining companies. The primary service in public transportation will be compromised by coal priorities.
1http://www.qinfagroup.com/file_pdf/LTN20091019352.pdf, accessed 24 May 2010.
2http://www.tiarocoal.com.au/Downloads/ASX%20Qinfa%20increases%20Tiaro%20Interest%20%282%29.pdf, accessed 24 May 2010.
3The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, Ramsar, Iran, http://www.ramsar.org/cda/en/ramsar-home/main/ramsar/1%5E7715_4000_0__ accessed 27 May 2010
4For example, Michael Hendryx and Melissa Ahern, “Relations between Health Indicators and Residential Proximity to Coal Mining in West Virginia,” April 2008, The American Journal of Public Health.
5ABC1, “A Dirty Business”, http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2010/s2867659.htm, accessed 24 May 2010
Jim McDonald, Briefing Paper, 25 May 2010.
Further Links
Rural town threatened by open cut coal-mine: Acland, Queensland
Further updating as information comes to hand
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