Farmers and conservationists have united in a Queensland Land Court challenge that began today to stop a major coal project in the Galilee Basin in the state’s central-west.
Owned in part by Australia’s wealthiest woman, mining magnate Gina Rinehart, GVK Hancock’s Alpha Coal Project, east of Rockhampton, plans to produce 32 million tonnes a year from its mine.
The then federal Labor government approved the project, which includes a large open cut mine, rail and port infrastructure in central west Queensland’s Galilee Basin, last month.
The company has already delayed the first exports of coal until 2017 but now several groups are trying to stop the mine.
Farmers and community group Coast and Country Association of Queensland want to overturn the approval on the grounds the project will cause irreversible damage to the environment, affect the Great Barrier Reef and contribute to climate change.
“The agricultural industry in this area absolutely depends on groundwater and the Alpha coal mine will have intensive water demands,” farmer Peter Anderson says.
Three families from the Alpha area say their primary concern is water impacts.
Community group Coast and Country will also object to the project, claiming it will damage the environment and contribute to climate change.
The group is also disputing the project’s economic benefits and any modelling should look at the effects on other industries and community welfare.
Mr Anderson says he wants a better agreement on underground water use by GVK Hancock.
Mr Anderson’s family is one of those objecting to the Alpha Coal Project in the Land Court.
He says the mine will be able to access two aquifers and he wants a process in place in case it affects the water supply.
“We rely quite extensively on underground water for the properties at Alpha,” he said.
“In a dry time such as now, the property is drought-declared at present and in a few weeks’ time, we’ll be relying almost exclusively on underground water.”
The case is expected to last for three weeks.
