Lynham will feel heat at TSBE forum

QUEENSLAND Mines Minister Dr Anthony Lynham will be met with intense pressure to approve the New Acland Coal Mine when he arrives in Toowoomba in the coming months.

Dr Lynham, who is the representative from the ALP in the three-part Political Leaders Series run by Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise, is due to speak at the third event in the coming weeks.

The Minister has the unenviable decision of choosing between mining jobs and farming land when he eventually makes a decision on the planned expansion of the coal mine, which was dealt a major blow in the Queensland Land Court last week.

While TSBE executive chairman Shane Charles said he didn’t want the luncheon to focus solely on Acland, he said the issue would be a topic of interest.

“In a perfect world, we’d love some certainty around Acland,” he said.

“The people and businesses of Oakey deserve some certainty - at the moment we’ve got none.

“We don’t want to make a political circus out of this, but we have reminded the minister very regularly of the importance to our economy of the New Acland Mine, and we know of some businesses in Oakey that will close if the mine ceases production.”

The Political Leaders Series continues with One Nation state leader Steve Dickson and party founder Pauline Hanson soon.