I am absolutely appalled that so little respect for Australian agriculture has been shown by both the State and Federal levels of government by their willingness to approve this mine.
The so-called "process" has given the project's proponents endless opportunities to manufacture information to "prove" what had already been assumed from the moment the exploration licence was suspiciously issued - that is, that the project can be safe.
Fundamental modelling flaws have been overlooked in favour of giving this project the green light. The risks to water and agriculture are not zero, and no report has ever categorically stated this, frequently citing loose terms such as "minimal", "adaptive management", "cease work triggers" etc.
The question has never been will there be damage; it is a matter of how much. There has never been "zero risk" established; instead the risks that have been proven to exist have been downplayed.
The distribution of risk is unacceptable in this proposed scenario, where we have a huge number of potentially extremely significant negative externalities not priced into the project and very little liability conveyed onto the beneficiaries of the project should these negative impacts occur.
It is a disgraceful and conscious decision to protect the prospects of the coal industry over the future of agriculture in an area that is so clearly superiorly suited to growing food.
Nowhere else in Australia do fertile soils, underground water, favourable climate and proximity to market combine to create such a long term competitive advantage for the agricultural industry; this should be recognised, valued and protected for generations to come.
And not just for generations of future farmers, but for domestic consumers of affordable & clean food, food processors, commodity exporters, and for our children's children to appreciate beautiful, fertile & productive country.
BHP's Caroona mine project presents even more problems - the forecast drawdowns on ground water are horrendous and subsidence will be catastrophic on the surrounding landscape. That it could be ever be considered as a suitable project is lunacy. The cumulative impacts of these two projects in such close proximity are bound to be colossal, and bound to cause massive, permanent and senseless damage to agriculture in Australia's prime agricultural area.
