Farmers to fight Tarong open cut mine plans
- 7th October 2008
DARLING Downs farmers have vowed to stop Tarong Energy “raping and pillaging” their premium agricultural land with open cut mining.
Dalby Regional Councilmayor Ray Brown and his fellow councillors last week voted unanimously to support the farmers' intention to make their land exempt from mining of such a large scale.
Cr Brown said Warrafarmers, along Haystack Road, received the dreaded letters two weeks ago stating that the Government-owned Tarong Energy was proceeding witha mining development plan.
“That set the alarm bells going for land holders and they voiced their concerns to council,” he said.
CrBrown said council had begun mapping the premium agricultural land of their former six shires and has approached the State Government to schedule a meeting with Premier Anna Bligh and Mines and Energy Minister Geoff Wilson.
“We need policies or legislation in place to exempt premium agricultural land.
“If we get that in, a lot of the country will sleep better at night.
“In 500 years time, we can say it wasn't us that made the decision to destroy this country.”
Cr Brown said open cut mining was much more destructive on the land than other forms.
“We're not against development; we just want the Government to consider the position of where that development is.”
Warra's Haystack region has been farmed by generations of families since before World War I and is one of the first developed agricultural lands in Queensland.
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