MEDIA RELEASE
11 May 2018
Adani Industry rally: Mackay locals demand future for youth, water and agriculture
As the Resource Industry Network prepares to rally in Mackay on Saturday, spokespeople for the Central Queensland Defend our Water campaign are calling for a future beyond coal that protects young people, Queensland water resources and agriculture.
Mackay cane grower Len Thompson said, “Coal has been a big part of Queensland’s past but we can’t bet our future on it. Locals around here realise Adani’s mine offers false hope. Whoever wins government has to develop a plan which will work for Central Queensland’s long term economic future.
“As a farmer I know that water is essential and a big question mark hangs over Adani’s groundwater impacts.
“Adani’s mine threatens Queensland’s water and our food security. We can’t afford to damage agriculture by digging new mines which will drive even more heatwaves, droughts and fires in this region.”
Amy Wyles, 14 years, from Holy Spirit College’,who was a key organiser in the Mackay School Strike for Climate Action said, “Jobs and the environment are really important to me, and governments should prioritise both.
“It makes me sad to see people hanging onto coal mining when we could work together to create jobs that have a bright future and don’t make climate change even worse.
“The world is moving to renewables and this can be done in Queensland too, building a big, clean, solar energy industry”.
Michael Kane, community organiser with the Mackay Conservation Group said, “Globally, one third of all electricity generation capacity now comes from renewable sources. Here in Australia and across the world, we are moving on from coal.
“Adani has promised Central Queenslanders the world on local jobs, but the reality is that they’re focussed on automating their mine and building a FIFO workforce.
“We need sustainable jobs in industries other than mining, to protect precious water resources and the region’s future”.
Media Contact: Michael Kane 0438 766 230
The Defend our Water Campaign Not One Drop for Adani was launched in February 2019 to draw attention to Adani’s plans to extract billions of litres of water from our rivers and underground reservoirs every year to run their mega coal mine - threatening the livelihoods of farmers and regional communities who rely on water to survive. Since then the campaign has been active in Central Queensland organising community forums, door-knocking, street marches, stalls and MP meetings. Groups involved in the Defend Our Water campaign include Mackay Conservation Group, Lock the Gate, Reef Action Whitsunday, Stop Adani Townsville, 350.org Central Queensland, North Queensland Conservation Council, Australian Religious Response to Climate Change.