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Pages tagged "media release"

Media Release: Federal Court rejects Adani’s water pipeline scheme

25 May 2021

Mackay Conservation Group has welcomed news today that the Federal Court has agreed that the Morrison Government made an error of law when it decided not to apply the ‘water trigger’ to the assessment of Adani’s North Galilee Water Scheme (NGWS).

Under Federal regulations, coal projects that extract a significant amount of water are required to submit a rigorous environmental impact statement. This water trigger was not originally applied to Adani’s Water Scheme.  

Sunny Hungerford, Campaign Manager at Mackay Conservation Group says:

“Today’s decision is a victory for Queensland’s water and the people and ecosystems that depend on it. In the Government’s rush to approve Adani’s plan to pipe 12.5 Billion litres from the Suttor River each year, they failed to apply proper scrutiny, and failed to properly consider the negative impacts that such a risky water plan could have on surrounding ecosystems, sacred sites, farmers and even towns. 

While Queensland’s farmers have battled one of the worst droughts in decades Adani should not be allowed to drain 12.5 billion litres of river water each year just to wash coal and suppress dust at their coal mine. 

Adani’s coal project is having devastating impacts on Queensland’s water from sucking up precious groundwater that feed ancient springs and wetlands, failing to manage erosion and polluting waterways with sediment. Today’s court decision proves that additional scrutiny and assessment of Adani’s impacts on water is needed. 



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Media Release: Adani’s sediment pollution and failed flood preparation prompts calls to strengthen environmental protection conditions

Media Release

19 May 2021

An expert report, ordered by the Queensland Coordinator General to investigate Adani’s flood mitigation and sediment control measures on its rail line has concluded that Adani is not following best practice erosion and sediment control guidelines. 

 

The expert report by consultants from Water and Technology found that: 

 

  • Adani failed to follow its own erosion and sediment control guidelines by conducting works in waterways during the wet season 
  • Adani failed to prepare sites for flooding leading to unnecessary sediment pollution 
  • Approval conditions for future projects of a similar nature be strengthened to “prohibit works in waterways during the wet season”

Lawyers from Environmental Justice Australia, acting for Mackay Conservation Group have written to the office of the Queensland Coordinator General calling on them to use existing powers to strengthen environmental conditions and monitoring at Adani’s coal mine and rail projects in light of the concerns the expert report has raised. 

 

Sunny Hungerford, campaign manager at Mackay Conservation Group says: 

“The Water and Technology report shows that Adani breached their own guidelines by conducting works in waterways during the wet season and failed to properly prepare sites for flooding which led to sediment pollution. It’s critically important that the Coordinator General's office strengthen the project conditions to specifically prohibit any construction works in waterways during the wet season.”

 

“The fact that Adani can get away with this shows just how weak and ineffective the environmental conditions the Queensland government has imposed on Adani are. In this case Adani was allowed to get away with failing to prepare for flood events and causing pollution of waterways. 

 

“Adani appears to have a full deck of get out of jail free cards, but Queenslanders expect better management of our precious water and natural assets. This is our backyard that Adani is polluting. Farmers and towns are working hard to protect our waterways from pollution, and companies like Adani should have to do the right thing as well.” 

 

“The Water Technology report makes numerous recommendations for the improvement of erosion and sediment control measures along the rail line project, but it is unclear how Adani’s compliance with implementing the recommendations may be enforced without strengthening the project’s approval conditions and setting out clearly what the consequences are if Adani do not follow them.’

 

“The Queensland and Federal Governments have repeatedly assured the public that Adani’s coal project has the strictest environmental conditions, but these conditions mean absolutely nothing if they fail to prevent serious environmental damage” 

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Media Release: Clive Palmer-owned coal mine rejected

28 April 2021

In a massive win for the community, environment and Reef, today the Queensland Department of Environment and Science has recommended the Clive Palmer-owned proposed Central Queensland Coal Project does not proceed due to unacceptable impacts on the Great Barrier Reef and World Heritage Area, the Styx River Estuary, water sources, and the Broad Sound Fish Habitat.

The Assessment Report released by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science is the first time a new coal mine has been recommended not to proceed in Queensland: 

“Taking into account all of the relevant information, I have determined that overall, the project poses a number of unacceptable risks and that the project, as proposed, is not suitable. As such, I consider that the project is not suitable to proceed.”

This decision follows the Federal Government’s Independent Expert Scientific Committee’s damning assessment of the project. The project will now be assessed by the Federal Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley. 

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Media Release: Mackay Rally For Our Reef

Media Release

15 April 2021

Mackay Rally For Our Reef

Concerned community members call on Queensland Government to reject Clive-Palmer owned Central Queensland Coal Project

Mackay community members gathered for a Mackay Rally For Our Reef at Bluewater Quay today (Thursday 15 April 2021), where they called for the Queensland government to reject the proposed Clive Palmer-owned Central Queensland Coal Project, which would be located just 10 Kilometres from the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

 

Mackay Rally For Our Reef community members with signs and reef themed props

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Media Release: Irwin's Turtle fundraiser exceeds expectations

Media Release

22 March 2021

Highlights:

  • Donors commit $29,000 to protect our rivers systems
  • Urannah Dam threatens a wetland of national significance that is home to 30 rare and threatened species.
  • Dam will return just 26 cents in benefits for every dollar it costs

 

The Swim For Our Rivers fundraising event held last Saturday raised a total of nearly $29,000 for campaigns to protect Irwin's Turtle and the Burdekin River system.

Mackay Conservation Group and North Queensland Conservation Council held simultaneous swim events in Mackay and Townsville on the weekend.

"We were really pleased with the level of support we received from our communities," said Peter McCallum, Mackay Conservation Group coordinator.

"235 individual donors contributed $120 each on average."

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Media Release: Community donates $10k to protect Steve Irwin's Turtle

16 March 2021

Highlights:

  • Turtle discovered by Steve Irwin could be sent to extinction by a dam
  • Community members raising funds to protect the turtle
  • Dam will return just 26 cents in benefits for every dollar it costs

Back in 1990, renowned naturalist Steve Irwin was fishing with his father Bob when he spotted an unusual looking turtle in the Burdekin River system. The pair captured and photographed the animal before releasing it back into the wild. The photos were sent to a researcher who believed it was new to science. 

It took another three years until scientists could examine a real turtle and confirm that it was in fact a new species. In honour of the Irwins, the turtle was named Elseya irwini, commonly known as Irwin's Turtle. 

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Media Release: Clive Palmer’s proposed new coal mine raises local’s fears of an environmental disaster.

Media Release

Friday 26 February 2021

Clive Palmer's Central Queensland Coal Project proposal, which would be located on the coast just 10 kilometres from the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, has raised fears of an environmental disaster among local residents and scientists alike.

Today the Queensland Government accepted the project's Environmental Impact Statement and determined that the project could go on to the next level of environmental assessment despite significant environmental concerns.      

The Independent Expert Scientific Committee that reviewed the project slammed the proposal, saying the coal mine would present “very significant risks to ... the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and the Broad Sound Fish Habitat Area (Queensland’s largest fish habitat and on the Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia)”

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Media Release: Another Adani environmental breach causes pollution to Queensland waterways, says local community group

Media Release

5 February 2021

Adani’s failure to prepare construction sites on its Carmichael mine rail corridor for wet season flooding has resulted in serious pollution and environmental damage. This pollution has potentially impacted on water quality flowing into wetlands, the coast and, ultimately, the Great Barrier Reef.

Mackay Conservation Group (“MCG”), a local community group, is concerned that Adani’s poor site management and lack of appropriate sediment controls will significantly increase the risk of further environmental damage and breaches in the immediate future.

MCG believes that conditions imposed by the Queensland Coordinator General (QCG) on Adani’s North Galilee Basin Rail Project to protect nearby waterways from contamination may have been breached. The conditions require the development and implementation of erosion and sediment control measures.

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Media Release: Dams condemned by farmers, environmentalists and scientists

Media Release 

27 November 2020

The Queensland Coordinator General has today released draft terms of reference for Environmental Impact Statements for increasing the size of the Burdekin Falls Dam and construction of a new Urannah Dam both of which are in the Burdekin River basin in North Queensland. 

The projects have become increasingly controversial, with farmers, scientists and environmentalists raising serious concerns about the consequences of reducing the flow of water in Australia’s second largest river basin.

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Media Release: LNP Dams Plan was a Political Fizzer

2 November 2020

The outcome of last weekend’s Queensland election shows that voters could not be swayed by the promise of the biggest dam building program in Australia’s history.

The LNP promised to build a major new dam on the Burdekin River to irrigate dry lands in the interior of Queensland. The scheme would have cost tens of billions of dollars and led to unsustainable reductions in freshwater flowing to coastal ecosystems, including estuaries that fisheries depend upon.

The policy was targeted at voters in key electorates in Townsville. In an announcement in August, LNP leader Deb Frecklington said “the biggest benefit will be felt in Townsville” and “[the] project that will secure Townsville’s economic future for generations to come”.

Voters returned ALP candidates in all three Townsville seats with swings of about three per cent.

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