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Category: Mining Industry / Mining Environmental Issues / State Parliament / Activism and Lobbying / Coal

Underground water management laws branded both 'too weak' and 'too tough'

Thursday, 10 Nov 2016 14:11:25 | Chris O'Brien

The mine water bill's passage was likened to a midnight coup by the Greens. (ABC News: Jonathan Hair)

Mine water laws passed overnight in Queensland Parliament have been slammed by environmentalists for being too weak, while some mining interests argue they are too tough.

Farmers said the amendments were a positive step.

Changes to the final version of the Environmental Protection (Underground Water Management) Bill mean companies that had already undergone scrutiny through an environmental impact statement (EIS) and the Land Court would still require a water licence, but would not have to go through the public objection process.

The Queensland Greens were angry the exemption would benefit Adani's Carmichael coal mine project in the Galilee Basin.

"This midnight sitting of Parliament may as well be a midnight coup by Adani," Greens spokesman Ben Pennings said.

"The ALP has betrayed Queenslanders concerned about the [Barrier] Reef, climate change and our precious farmland."

'Why weren't Acland coal jobs considered?'

The LNP, on the other hand, was upset the amended water licence requirements would be of no use to the Acland coal mine at Oakey.

"Annastacia Palaszczuk needs to explain to the employees of the Acland mine why their livelihoods weren't worth saving from her job-destroying legislation," deputy Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington said.

"We do not at all begrudge communities in central and north Queensland for the fact that Labor has finally seen fit to excuse the Adani mine from unnecessary extra water approvals.

"But why didn't she do the same for the Acland mine?"

Farming lobby group AgForce took the middle ground, describing the new environmental laws as "a positive step towards improved groundwater management".

The laws would "help take the pressure off landholders dealing with resources companies over underground water issues", AgForce water spokesman Kim Bremner said.

"We called for and supported a strengthening of the 'make-good' obligations on the resources sector, and it was pleasing to see those changes received the broad support of the Parliament," Mr Bremner said.

But more work needed to be done to provide greater certainty about water allocation processes into the future, he said.

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