Media release : Friday 31st October 2008
Location : Anna Bligh's office, West End, Brisbane
The Friends of Felton group today sat on the floor in the Premier's office to demand the Government introduce legislation to protect prime farmland from mining. The peaceful protest involved around 25 people1.
Spokesman Rob McCreath said "The mining boom is out of control. Areas such as Felton, Jimbour, and Warra are the jewels in the crown of rural Queensland. The Premier must act now to protect our food bowl from destruction."
The group set up a mock lunch table on the pavement outside the office, with a plate of coal for the Premier's lunch, and a glass of polluted water.
The protesters shared their own picnic lunch with onlookers – a picnic made from fresh Darling Downs ingredients.
Media contact: Rob McCreath 0409 014219
www.friendsoffelton.blogspot.com
Postscript: The Courier Mail of the next day, Saturday 1 November 2008 completely failed to report protest in spite of this media release having been sent some time before 1:03PM. The business section included more stories about the claimed prosperity that coal mining will bring to the Darling Downs:
This has been adapted from a PDF leaflet from Friends Of Felton
Stage 1: A three year demonstration project involving the mining of 750,000 t/yr of coal and its processing into Di-methyl ether (DME), an alternative fuel, and gas for a power station.
Stage 2: Massive expansion of the mine to 12.8 million tonnes/yr.2 Expansion of power station and petrochemical plant.
The mine's anticipated output of 12.8 million tonnes/yr would be greater than any existing Queensland coal mine!!
This is TWICE the size of the new Acland mine, near Oakey.
The Friends of Felton are committed to opposing a coal mine at Felton for the following reasons:
HOWEVER the mine will only go ahead if the government grants it an operating licence. If you agree with the position adopted by Friends of Felton please add your support by whatever means possible. The decision makers already know that not all mining proposals are acceptable. What they still need to be convinced about is the unacceptability of the one being proposed for Felton.
Become an active member of
Phone: 07 4691 0195
Email: wingfielders [ AT ] bluemaxx.com.au
visit our website www.friendsoffelton.blogspot.com
1. ↑ The media release stated 20. I counted 25 protestors including myself - JS
2. ↑ Originally it was to have a capacity of 24 million tonnes/yr of 4 times the capacity of the new mine at Acland, but it was scaled back to 12.8 million tonnes/yr. They were to use water drained from acquifers to wash the coal, but they have since claimed that they can do without the use of water. Friends of Felton are skeptical that this will last.
See also: www.friendsoffelton.blogspot.com, YouTube broadcast of (Oct 2008(?)) "Coal Mines To Replace Farms in Australia", "Darling Downs community fights farmland for mine move" in Sunday Mail of 1 Nov 08 (Friday's protest not reported), "Coal vs cropping fight widens" in Stock and Land of 15 Oct 08, "Lone stand as coalminers poised to bulldoze Acland" in the Courier Mail of 18 Oct 08, "Darling Downs farmers vow to resist coal miners" in the Courier Mail of 5 Oct 08, "Qld farmers take on coal industry" in the Green Left Weekly of 25 Oct 08.
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