Is this the end of Australia's boulder opal industry?

A fortnight ago it was revealed that two Winton district properties, Tonkoro and the leasehold portion of Melrose, together covering more than 200,000ha, have been purchased by the government with the aim of adding them to Queensland's protected areas estate.

Tonkoro connects the protected area corridor from Diamantina National Park, Mt Windsor Nature Refuge, Pullen Pullen Special Wildlife Reserve and Goneaway National Park, creating a total protected area of 1,220,102ha.

Melrose joins Bladensburg National Park, doubling the protected area there to 150,721 hectares.

The 352,590ha Vergemont Station, which has been on the market for a number of years, sits in front of Tonkoro and contains much of the region's opal-bearing grounds.

Around 60 operational claims and leases are situated on the million-acre cattle property and it's been estimated the industry there involves around 100 people, some 7 per cent of Winton's population.

The Queensland Boulder Opal Association has attempted to pre-empt the possible loss of much of its most valuable land, writing to the Department of Environment and Science at the end of January to ask what the likely outcome would be for opal mining activity within Restricted Area 257, if Vergemont Station was purchased for national park purposes.

"Trusting the government would be totally aware of the catastrophic consequences to many people and businesses within the region, along with all western communities and across the country, should this particular concentrated, resource-rich region in and around RA257 be removed under the banner of a national park," the letter signed by QBOA president Alison Summerville said.

"We would appreciate any comments from your office and seek reassurance that there are no steps being put into place to take this region or change its purpose as it is set up now for opal mining."

All the department would say when contacted by Queensland Country Life was that the state government "continues to expand the protected area estate, in line with its Protected Area Strategy 2020-2030".

"All potential acquisitions are assessed according to the Queensland National Park Investment Prioritisation Framework in line with their conservation values and those already represented in the protected area system."

Ms Summerville said in the event that Vergemont became a national park, they were preparing to lobby strongly for the opal-bearing areas to be excised and given to either the Winton Shire Council or the Department of Resources, for the opal industry to continue to mine.

Winton mayor Gavin Baskett said his council was committed to somehow securing the restricted area for opal mining.

"It would decimate the industry (if it was lost)," he said.

"We're already losing a considerable amount from the beef industry with the sale of Tonkoro and Melrose, for agents and trucking companies and the like.

"The industry started here in 1885 - people own houses in town, they buy their fuel and groceries here.

"There's four opal shops in town, it's a massive thing for tourism here as well."

He said the council had spoken with both Environment Minister Leanne Linard and Resources Minister Scott Stewart to impress upon them the importance of the industry, as well as its unique characteristics.

The 1000km stretch from south of Kynuna to Eulo is home to three of the four places in the world that boulder opal, Australia's national gem, is found.

Constable & Co opal trading principal Michael Constable, in a 2022 submission to the state government, said figures obtained from the world's largest online opal retail house showed a dramatic and consistent increase in the demand for all forms of Queensland opal around the world.

"The demand is ever-increasing and with this we require increased production and the mining claims system, being the ideal entry point for prospective miners, is crucial to our business," he said.

Claims are much cheaper for entry-level miners than leases.

Mr Constable's comments were part of a submission in response to a draft Queensland Resources Industry Development Plan released in November 2021 that proposed the removal of all small-scale mining claims "while continuing to provide legitimate pathways for small-scale miners to gain tenure through a mining lease".

It said appropriate transitional arrangements to grandfather existing tenement holders would be developed in consultation with stakeholders, but the QBOA said the legislation was based on a highly contentious, costly, and totally inaccurate report by the Synergy Group.

"Fortunately, the mining industry, supported by local government, tourism industries and other identities rallied their support during a 12-month moratorium, and the error was realised, with mining claims retained in the Mineral Resources Act," Ms Summerville said in a letter last week to federal Resources Minister Catherine King.

The plan would have affected Queensland's Gemfields as well, and Ms Summerville said to remove the claims was really radical and without thought for the impact on regional and remote communities.

"If that was like a grenade to the industry, the possibility of losing our leases to national parks is a nuclear bomb," she said.

She questioned the state government's financial incentives for rare earth minerals on the one hand, and its over-regulatory stance on her industry on the other.

"We have a rare earth gem, found only in small, isolated pockets, not interfering with any other mineral, waterway or agricultural area," she said in her letter to Ms King.

"Our footprint is so tiny we hardly mark the earth, yet we are made to comply with stringent rules and regulations similar to large corporate companies.

"Paying large sums for compensation, camp bonds and environmental bonds, we are given not one nanogram of recognition, support, education or reward."

Both Ms Summerville and Cr Baskett said modern mining systems returned all of the dirt, made no dams, and didn't use chemicals.

She also said the QRIDP process had taken three years of public service time and taxpayers' money, and that no face-to-face consultation had occurred with industry body representatives.

"We would really love support from the department instead of the big stick."

When Vergemont was sold to the Bode family in December 2012, it changed hands for $6.5 million.

The amount the state government paid for the two Winton properties this year hasn't been revealed but it's understood Tonkoro made more than $21 million.