TURNING THE INNER DOWNS
INTO ONE BIG QUARRY?
NO WAY HOZAY!
A viable coal project has to tick every box
for the end product

 Size and quality of the resource 
 Existing or potential infrastructure + inputs ??
 Environmental impacts
XX
 Availability of enough space
XX
 Community acceptance
XXXX
 License to operate
?????
 Market
Getting a License to Establish a Large
Mining Project in Qld
Strategic Cropping Land Act (2011)
 Environmental Impact Study (EIS) including an
Impact Mitigation Strategy
 Environmental Protection & Biodiversity
Conservation Act (1999)
 Social and political acceptability

Key aspects of Strategic Cropping Land
A story of capitulation & excessive compromise
 Meant to protect the of best cropping land from
permanent alienation (see Google maps)
 Trigger maps and zones (Eastern Darling Downs)
 Criteria (1.slope, 2.rockiness, 3.micro-relief, 4.soil
depth, 5.drainage, 6.soil pH, 7.chloride content,
8.water storage) X delicate tipping points
 Validation – by an independent 3rd party at cost

Achievements of Friends of Felton
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Four years of opposition; >100 members; money in
the bank; dynamic web site; linkages to other action
groups; media savvy; 100% committed to victory
We have revealed the EIS assessment process as a
biased and deficient tool of development
Got the agro-political industry to join our protest
against the manner in which mining is entering and
desecrating rural Qld
Kept Ambre Energy looking out of place
Why not coal mining RIGHT HERE?
Too many people would be adversely affected
without any prospect of compensation – this
is a natural consequence of mine-related
externalities and settlement density on the
Inner Darling Downs
 This is a beautiful & productive place that a lot
of people have chosen to call home. It is not
available to large scale miners
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What you can do………………
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Unless you want to see the Inner Darling Downs
turned into another Hunter Valley, don’t agree to
any exploration on your land – FOF has produced
guidelines to assist your decision making.
Join up! The only way we are going to win this
fight is through clear demonstration of our
opposition. If we lead, the politicians will have to
follow………
Persevere until the job is done!