Future of Oakey in question: Mayor

REJECTION of New Acland Stage 3 expansion is a huge blow to the future of Oakey, according to Toowoomba Mayor Paul Antonio.

Cr Antonio said it was still early days, with the Queensland Land Court yesterday recommending the Queensland Government not allow the mine, near Oakey, be expanded.

“We understand that the judgment has recommended rejection but we have not had the opportunity to read the fine print in regard to that,” he said.

“The only other thing I would say, we await what the State Government will do with that.”

Cr Antonio said on the other side of the coin, his real concern was for the community of Oakey.

“They have had a tough time of late and there is no doubt that this is a blow to the future of many businesses in Oakey,” he said.

“As a community leader this concerns me.”

Cr Antonio said not to forget the workers who had for a long time worked at Acland and depended on its future.

He said he was getting a whole lot of different reactions to a potential judgment of this nature which had been based on damage to ground water.

“All levels of government need to step back now and make sure we support Oakey in a way we haven’t done in the past,” he said.

Cr Antonio said with all of the difficulty Oakey had already been facing, including the issue of water contamination, a further blow could be the end of Oakey.