Lesson still not learned
AS TAXPAYERS are forced to dig deep and help repair one of Queensland’s worst environmental disasters, another is being allowed to take shape by state and federal governments.
Recently, the Queensland Government announced tenders to “plug” the wells at the polluted Linc Energy underground coal gasification site near Chinchilla.
Linc was undeniably a ruthless vandal and was last year found guilty of causing serious environmental harm.
One would think there would be a lesson in this, yet at the same time the government was investigating the Linc catastrophe, it was approving another project just down the road, also at the headwaters of the Murray Darling system, that has the potential to cause irreparable environmental harm.
Both state Labor and the LNP are to blame here – after all it was Campbell Newman’s LNP Government that first gave the nod to this poisonous proposal in 2013.
We on the Western Downs are now fighting against a state approved plan to dump 15 million tonnes of CSG salt waste next to Stockyard Creek, despite a University of NSW review finding the plan poses “considerable risk” of water contamination.
Clearly, the state government has learned nothing from the Linc fiasco.
The federal government too is to blame – we have repeatedly called for the federal environment minister to assess the project, under the provisions of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
For the Minister not to do so, at a time when the country is up in arms over the dismal state of the Murray Darling, where more than a million fish have died, is utter madness.
For goodness’ sake, Agriculture Minister David Littleproud was baying for blood during the strawberry spiking saga but he has had nothing to say about a 15 million tonne toxic salt dump.
The flow on effects in the Murray Darling could be catastrophic on a national level.
The Environment Minister, Melissa Price, has the power to halt this project. The toxic salt dump plan meets the “water trigger” that requires assessment of mining or coal seam gas developments, including associated waste management, likely to have a significant impact on a water resource. Yet so far we hear nothing but crickets.
Why do governments continue to avoid responding to the CSG toxic dump issue?
Do they genuinely believe that 15 million tonnes of CSG toxic waste dumped in the Murray Darling Catchment poses no threat?
Unlike the Linc disaster, it won’t be possible for the government to plug a few holes to contain this environmental catastrophe when it occurs. If allowed to proceed, this salt dump will leave a toxic legacy for future generations to endure.
■ Chinchilla resident, Glen Beasley, is part of the Cameby Concerned Citizens Group.