Calls to halt mining a ‘disaster'

THE Greens have called for a moratorium on the coal seam gas (CSG) industry and halting coal mine expansion, but the plan has been labelled as a “social and economic catastrophe for Queensland” by Premier Anna Bligh.

THE Greens have called for a moratorium on the coal seam gas (CSG) industry and halting coal mine expansion, but the plan has been labelled as a “social and economic catastrophe for Queensland”.

The Australian Greens not only want to kill off the CSG industry but also halt the development of new coal mines and the expansion of existing mines.

Both Queensland Premier Anna Bligh and LNP Parliamentary leader Callide MP Jeff Seeney were quick to shoot down the Greens.

Ms Bligh said the state's mining and resources sector was a key jobs provider with almost 55,000 workers directly employed and the three CSG projects with State and Federal approvals were proposing a combined investment of up to $66 billion in Queensland over the next four years.

“Coal is a finite resource and we need to realistically plan and invest in other forms of energy including gas and renewable as part of fuelling our future,” Ms Bligh said.

“But a shut-down of the coal and gas industries would be a social and economic catastrophe for Queensland and Australia, costing thousands of jobs, halting investment and closing down whole communities.

“The ripple effect on downstream supply chains in mining services, technology and manufacturing would be devastating.

“Any realistic response to climate change needs to avoid radical and extreme politics.

“If we were to place a ban on CSG and coal mines in Queensland, it would be a ban on a prosperous and environmentally sustainable future for our state, our country and our Asian neighbours,” the Premier told Central Telegraph.

Mr Seeney said the Greens lived in an unreal world and were a “walking disaster” for Queensland.

Mr Seeney said the only way to grow the state's economy was by the resources sector, but checks and balances were needed.

Australian Greens Deputy Leader Senator Christine Milne said CSG “fracking” had recently been banned in progressive countries such as France and South Africa.

“The damage it can cause to our health, to our water and to our climate is too great not to warrant an immediate moratorium,” Ms Milne said.

“It does not make any sense to open up a new polluting industry which puts at risk our agriculture and could contaminate the Great Artesian Basin.

“We stand to lose hundreds of thousands of jobs in tourism – on the Reef and in the rainforests – and the bottom will drop out of our agricultural sector.

“On the other hand, if we start building in sunny Queensland the industrial scale solar power plants that are currently being built in Spain and the USA, if we roll out programs to upgrade the energy efficiency of our homes, businesses and industry, we can create many more jobs than we currently have in coal.”